706results about How to "Reduce contamination" patented technology

Embodiments of nanoelectronic sensors are described, including sensors for detecting analytes such ammonia. An environmental control system employing nanoelectronic sensors is described. A personnel safety system configured as a disposable badge employing nanoelectronic sensors is described. A method of dynamic sampling and exposure of a sensor providing a number of operational advantages is described.

The present invention generally comprises an RF shutter assembly for use in a plasma processing apparatus. The RF shutter assembly may reduce the amount of plasma creep below the substrate and shadow frame during processing, thereby reducing the amount of deposition that occurs on undesired surfaces. By reducing the amount of deposition on undesired surfaces, particle flaking and thus, substrate contamination may be reduced.

A sealed battery enclosure to extend the life of the batteries contained therein is provided, the sealed battery enclosure significantly reducing contamination from water or other liquids and gases.

An automatic exchanger apparatus for peritoneal dialysis fluids is provided having a dialysis fluid bag and a drained fluid bag and arranged for connecting and disconnecting between the end of a peritoneal dialysis circuit equipped with a branching point and the end of a tube extending from a patient to drain the waste dialysis fluid from the cavity of the patient and fill the peritoneal cavity of the patient with a fresh peritoneal dialysis fluid for exchange, and in particular comprises: means A, B, and C for carrying out respectively a step (A) of connecting the end of the patient side tube to the end of the peritoneal dialysis circuit, a step (B) of delivering and draining the waste fluid, and a step (C) of, disconnecting the two ends and connecting the end of the patient side tube to its shut-off member, arranged for carrying out their respective steps (A) and (C) automatically; and a controlling means for controlling the respectively means to execute their respectively steps in a sequence. The apparatus is simple in the construction while carrying out, with much ease, the connection and disconnection of the tubes and the exchange of the fluids including a waste and a fresh supply one, hence avoiding operational errors of the operator and minimizing the possibility of infection and contamination.

The present invention is directed towards methods and apparatus for handling powder in a 3D printer. The invention includes a means of transporting powder from multiple sources to a powder dispensing apparatus with minimal user intervention, thus reducing contamination of the 3D printer and surrounding area with loose powder, while also providing a means of improving the recycling of powder for re-use.

An ionizer for forming a gas-cluster ion beam is disclosed including inlet and outlet ends partially defining an ionization region traversed by a gas-cluster jet and one or more plasma electron source(s) for providing electrons to the ionizing region for ionizing at least a portion of the gas-clusters to form a gas-cluster ion beam. One or more sets of substantially linear rod electrodes may be disposed substantially parallel to and in one or more corresponding partial, substantially cylindrical pattern(s) about the gas-cluster jet axis, wherein some sets are arranged in substantially concentric patterns with differing radii. In certain embodiments, the ionizer includes one or more substantially linear thermionic filaments disposed substantially parallel to the gas-cluster jet axis, heating means, electrical biasing means to judiciously bias sets of the linear rod electrodes with respect to the thermionic filaments to achieve electron repulsion.

Embodiments of nanoelectronic sensors are described, including sensors for detecting analytes such as anesthesia gases, CO2 and the like in human breath. An integrated monitor system and disposable sensor unit is described which permits a number of different anesthetic agents to be identified and monitored, as well as concurrent monitoring of other breath species, such as CO2. The sensor unit may be configured to be compact, light weight, and inexpensive. Wireless embodiments provide such enhancements as remote monitoring. A simulator system for modeling the contents and conditions of human inhalation and exhalation with a selected mixture of a treatment agent is also described, particularly suited to the testing of sensors to be used in airway sampling.

Light is applied for preheating from a halogen lamp to a lower surface of a semiconductor wafer supported on a susceptor within a chamber. Thereafter, flash light is applied for flash heating from a flash lamp to an upper surface of the semiconductor wafer. Treatment gas supplied from a gas supply source is heated by a heater, and supplied into the chamber. A flow amount control valve is provided to increase a flow amount of the treatment gas supplied into the chamber. Contaminants discharged from a film of the semiconductor wafer during heat treatment are discharged to the outside of the chamber with a gas flow formed by a large amount of high-temperature treatment gas supplied into the chamber to reduce contamination inside the chamber.

The present invention is directed towards methods and apparatus for handling powder in a 3D printer. The invention includes a means of transporting powder from multiple sources to a powder dispensing apparatus with minimal user intervention, thus reducing contamination of the 3D printer and surrounding area with loose powder, while also providing a means of improving the recycling of powder for re-use.

A stage cleaning substrate for use in the operation of cleaning a substrate stage within an exposure unit compatible with immersion exposure and a dummy substrate for use during the adjustment of an exposure position of a pattern image are held in a cleaning substrate housing part and a dummy substrate housing part, respectively, provided in a substrate processing apparatus. For the operation of cleaning the substrate stage or an alignment operation within the exposure unit, the stage cleaning substrate or the dummy substrate is transported from the substrate processing apparatus to the exposure unit. The process of cleaning the stage cleaning substrate or the dummy substrate is performed in a cleaning processing unit of the substrate processing apparatus immediately before or immediately after the operation of cleaning the substrate stage or the alignment operation.

An ionizer for forming a gas-cluster ion beam is disclosed including inlet and outlet ends partially defining an ionization region traversed by a gas-cluster jet and one or more plasma electron source(s) for providing electrons to the ionizing region for ionizing at least a portion of the gas-clusters to form a gas-cluster ion beam. One or more sets of substantially linear rod electrodes may be disposed substantially parallel to and in one or more corresponding partial, substantially cylindrical pattern(s) about the gas-cluster jet axis, wherein some sets are arranged in substantially concentric patterns with differing radii. In certain embodiments, the ionizer includes one or more substantially linear thermionic filaments disposed substantially parallel to the gas-cluster jet axis, heating means, electrical biasing means to judiciously bias sets of the linear rod electrodes with respect to the thermionic filaments to achieve electron repulsion.

A droplet dispensing system for forming and dispensing droplets of a liquid sample is provided. The droplet dispensing system is fabricated on the tip of a dispensing pin. The tip of the dispensing pin includes a droplet ejection nozzle, a filling channel, a chamber and an actuator for ejecting droplets on demand. The system further includes a holder for mounting the dispensing pin. The holder also contains a control circuit for activating the actuator.

An inflatable resuscitation face mask comprising a top sheet joined to a bottom sheet to form an inflatable pocket which when inflated forms a raised body having an apex and a lower perimeter, wherein inflation means is provided on the mask and an opening at the apex allows air to be administered through the opening to an area underneath the inflated mask.

Embodiments of nanoelectronic sensors are described, including sensors for detecting analytes such as anesthesia gases, CO2 and the like in human breath. An integrated monitor system and disposable sensor unit is described which permits a number of different anesthetic agents to be identified and monitored, as well as concurrent monitoring of other breath species, such as CO2. The sensor unit may be configured to be compact, light weight, and inexpensive. Wireless embodiments provide such enhancements as remote monitoring. A simulator system for modeling the contents and conditions of human inhalation and exhalation with a selected mixture of a treatment agent is also described, particularly suited to the testing of sensors to be used in airway sampling.

The invention includes devices and methods for obtaining samples of blood or other bodily fluids with reduced levels of contamination. Fluid obtained from a subject may be contaminated by skin cells, bacteria, fungi, viruses, phages, their respective RNA, DNA, and / or other undesirable molecules, or disinfectants. A first amount of fluid is injected from the subject through an distal needle and a proximal needle penetrates a first portion of a device having a sequestration chamber with sub-atmospheric pressure therein. A first portion of the fluid, containing contaminants, is deposited into the sequestration chamber. The proximal needle is then moved through a second portion of the sequestration chamber and into a collection container. Because contaminants are removed from the sample, analysis and diagnosis of a subject's condition becomes more reliable and accurate. Additional devices and methods can be used to obtain relatively uncontaminated samples from cell culturing vessels.

An improved oral-hygiene apparatus, for example a toothbrush, includes a handle configured to resist rolling and angled to maintain the head off a surface when idle. In addition, the apparatus includes recessed tongue-cleaner on the head, opposite the bristles. The tongue-cleaner features a rounded tongue-curette scrape edge and smooth curette base. This design allows omni-directional travel and effectively scrapes and cleans the tongue and inner cheek. The present invention is economical to produce and does not increase the overall thickness of the instrument head.

A corrosion resistant component of semiconductor processing equipment such as a plasma chamber comprises a cerium oxide containing ceramic material as an outermost surface of the component. The cerium oxide containing ceramic material comprises one or more cerium oxides as the single largest constituent thereof. The component can be made entirely of the cerium oxide containing ceramic material or, alternatively, the cerium oxide containing ceramic can be provided as a layer on a substrate such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, a ceramic material, stainless steel, or a refractory metal. The cerium oxide containing ceramic layer can be provided as a coating by a technique such as plasma spraying. One or more intermediate layers may be provided between the component and the cerium oxide containing ceramic coating. To promote adhesion of the cerium oxide containing ceramic coating, the component surface or the intermediate layer surface may be subjected to a surface roughening treatment prior to depositing the cerium oxide containing ceramic coating.

In an exposure unit compatible with immersion exposure, a dummy substrate to be used for an alignment process for adjustment of an exposure position for a pattern image is transferred to a substrate processing apparatus for performing a resist coating process before exposure and a development process after exposure. In the substrate processing apparatus, the received dummy substrate is reversed and transferred to a back surface cleaning unit, to be subjected to a back surface cleaning process. After that, the dummy substrate is reversed again and transferred to a front surface cleaning unit, to be subjected to a front surface cleaning process. The dummy substrate after being cleaned is transferred back from the substrate processing apparatus to the exposure unit. Since the alignment process can be performed by using a clean dummy substrate in the exposure unit, it is possible to reduce contamination of mechanisms in the exposure unit, such as a substrate stage and the like.

A method of producing a multi-component cigarette filter having one more filter component than the number of hoppers on the machine producing the cigarette filter rods. A dual hopper machine can produce two-component filters as well as three-component filters, and a three hopper machine can produce three-component filters as well as four-component filters.

The present invention is directed toward methods and systems for cooling electronics. More particularly, in various embodiments, the present invention provides systems and methods for cooling a data storage device. In some embodiments, a multiple data storage device enclosure might include a first data storage device and a second data storage device. Both data storage devices may be within the multiple data storage device enclosure. In various embodiments, a first cooling device, external to the first and second data storage device may be coupled to the multiple data storage device enclosure. Additionally, in some embodiments, a controller, may be coupled to the cooling device and configured to receive control signals from the first and second data storage devices.

The present invention is directed towards methods and apparatus for handling powder in a 3D printer. The invention includes a means of transporting powder from multiple sources to a powder dispensing apparatus with minimal user intervention, thus reducing contamination of the 3D printer and surrounding area with loose powder, while also providing a means of improving the recycling of powder for re-use.

A digital camera module (200) includes a lens holder (20), a lens module (30) received in the lens holder, and an image sensor chip package (40) mounted to the lens holder. The lens module includes a lens barrel (301) movably engaged in the lens holder and at least one lens (302) received in the lens barrel. The image sensor chip package includes a base (401), an image sensor chip (402) mounted on the base, a transparent cover (405), and an adhesive (50) positioning the transparent cover with respect to the image sensor chip. The adhesive and the transparent cover cooperatively seal the image sensor chip therein.

The present invention relates to automotive heat exchanger assemblies that can withstand high environmental temperature and pressures conditions. By providing for a tube strengthener into the tubes at the areas of highest stress, the heat exchanger assembly is strengthened to be efficient under typical operating conditions

The invention discloses a dry sand maker which comprises a hollow crushing cavity (2). A hollow dust removal cavity (5) is arranged under the hollow crushing cavity (2); the upper end of a feeding channel (6) is hermetically connected with a feeding mouth (22) and the lower end (61) thereof is positioned in the dust removal cavity (5) on which an air vent (7) is also arranged; an air duct (8) is arranged in the dust removal cavity (5); the lower end (61) of the feeding channel (6) is staggered with the upper end (81) of the air duct (8) in the horizontal direction; the bottom surface of the dust removal cavity (5) is provided with an outlet (51); a dust absorption component is hermetically connected with the lower end (82) of the air duct (8) or the air vent (7) after passing through the outlet (51). The invention also provides a method for drying sand making simultaneously. By adopting the dry sand maker, the drying sand making can have the advantages of high production efficiency and low environmental pollution.

The present invention is directed towards methods and apparatus for handling powder in a 3D printer. The invention includes a means of transporting powder from multiple sources to a powder dispensing apparatus with minimal user intervention, thus reducing contamination of the 3D printer and surrounding area with loose powder, while also providing a means of improving the recycling of powder for re-use.

In one embodiment, a spin coating process comprises: dispensing a solution of a solution solvent and about 3 to about 30 wt % thermoplastic polymer, based upon the total weight of the solution, wherein the solution solvent has a boiling point at atmospheric pressure of about 110° C. to about 250° C., a polarity index of greater than or equal to about 4.0, a pH of about 5.5 to about 9; spinning the substrate; and removing the solution solvent to produce a coated substrate comprising a coating having less than or equal to 10 asperities over the entire surface of the coated substrate.

The present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a circuit layout on a touch panel by utilizing metal plating technology, comprising uniformly coating a conductive metal or conductive oxidized metal on predetermined areas proximate edges of a transparent conductive layer on a transparent glass substrate for forming a circuit by utilizing metal plating technology, which has the advantages of uniform thickness of circuit, higher hardness, better adhesion of the plated material to the underlying substrate, whether it is a resistive film or bare glass, improved weathering and chemical properties, and solderability.

A light source apparatus for generating a plasma and supplying a light irradiated from the plasma to an optical system, said light source apparatus includes a chamber for accommodating a region that generates the plasma, wherein a density of a hydrocarbon compound included in a gas in the chamber is 300 ppb or less.