38500 results about "Electric field" patented technology

A zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film transistor (TFT) and method of forming the same are provided. The ZnO may include a ZnO semiconductor channel, a conductive ZnO gate forming an electric field around the ZnO semiconductor channel, an ZnO gate insulator interposed between the conductive ZnO gate and the ZnO semiconductor channel and an insulating ZnO passivation layer on the ZnO semiconductor channel, the conductive ZnO gate and the ZnO gate insulator to protect the ZnO semiconductor channel, the conductive ZnO gate, and the ZnO gate insulator. A thin film transistor (TFT) may be formed by forming a semiconductor channel, forming a conductive gate having an electric field around the semiconductor channel, forming a gate insulator between the conductive gate and the semiconductor channel, and forming an insulating passivation layer on the semiconductor channel, the conductive gate and the gate insulator.

A surgical instrument and method of controlling the surgical instrument are disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a housing and an elongated shaft that extends distally from the housing and defines a first longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument also includes a firing rod disposed in the elongated shaft and a drive mechanism disposed at least partially within the housing. The drive mechanism mechanically cooperates with the firing rod to move the firing rod. A motion sensor senses a change in the electric field (e.g., capacitance, impedance, or admittance) between the firing rod and the elongated shaft. The measurement unit determines a parameter of the motion of the firing rod, such as the position, speed, and direction of the firing rod, based on the sensed change in the electric field. A controller uses the measured parameter of the motion of the firing rod to control the drive mechanism.

Specific ambient and user behaviour sensing systems and methods are presented to improve friendliness and usability of electronic handheld devices, in particular cellular phones, PDAs, multimedia players and similar.The improvements and special functions include following components:a. The keypad is locked / unlocked (disabled / enabled) and / or the display activated based on the device inclination relative to its longitudinal and / or lateral axes.b. The keypad is locked if objects are detected above the display (for example the boundary of a bag or pursue).c. The keypad is locked / unlocked (disabled / enabled) and / or the display activated based on electric field displacement or bio-field sensing systems recognizing the user hand in any position behind the handheld device.d. The electric response signal generated by an electric field through the user hand in contact with a receiver plate is used to identify the user and in negative case lock the device.e. Connection with incoming calls is automatically opened as soon as a hand is detected behind the device and the device is put close to the ear (proximity sensor).f. The profile (ring-tone mode, volume and silent mode) can be changed just putting the device in a specific verse (upside up or upside down).g. Has a lateral curved touchpad with tactile markings over more surfaces to control a mouse pointer / cursor or selection with the thumb finger.

An electrophoretic medium comprises a plurality of particles suspended in a suspending fluid, the particles being capable of moving through the fluid upon application of an electric field to the medium, the fluid having dissolved or dispersed therein a polymer having a number average molecular weight in excess of about 20,000, the polymer being essentially non-absorbing on the particles. The polymer improves the bistability of the display (i.e., the period for which a written image persist without the display being refreshed) but does not greatly increase the viscosity of the suspending fluid, thus keeping the switching time of the display within reasonable limits. The medium may be encapsulated, or may be in the form a polymer-dispersed electrophoretic medium.

Shifts in the apparent charge stored on a floating gate (or other charge storing element) of a non-volatile memory cell can occur because of the coupling of an electric field based on the charge stored in adjacent floating gates (or other adjacent charge storing elements). The problem occurs most pronouncedly between sets of adjacent memory cells that have been programmed at different times. To compensate for this coupling, the read process for a given memory cell will take into account the programmed state of an adjacent memory cell.

A two-phase electrophoretic medium comprises a continuous phase and a discontinuous phase. The discontinuous phase comprises a plurality of droplets, each of which comprises a suspending fluid and at least one particle disposed within the suspending fluid and capable of moving through the fluid upon application of an electric field to the electrophoretic medium. The continuous phase surrounds and encapsulates the discontinuous phase. To reduce the humidity sensitivity of the medium, a non-ionizable or crystalline polymer may be used as the continuous phase.

Interelectrode impedance or electric field potential measurements are used to determine the relative orientation of one lead to other leads in the spinal column or other body / tissue location. Interelectrode impedance is determined by measuring impedance vectors. The value of the impedance vector is due primarily to the electrode-electrolyte interface, and the bulk impedance between the electrodes. The bulk impedance between the electrodes is, in turn, made up of (1) the impedance of the tissue adjacent to the electrodes, and (2) the impedance of the tissue between the electrodes. In one embodiment, the present invention makes both monopolar and bipolar impedance measurements, and then corrects the bipolar impedance measurements using the monopolar measurements to eliminate the effect of the impedance of the tissue adjacent the electrodes. The orientation and position of the leads may be inferred from the relative minima of the corrected bipolar impedance values. These corrected impedance values may also be mapped and stored to facilitate a comparison with subsequent corrected impedance measurement values. Such comparison allows a determination to be made as to whether the lead position and / or orientation has changed appreciably over time. In another embodiment, one or more electrodes are stimulated and the resulting electric field potential on the non-stimulated electrodes is measured. Such field potential measurements provide an indication of the relative orientation of the electrodes. Once known, the relative orientation may be used to track lead migration, to setup stimulation configurations and parameters for nominal stimulation and / or navigation. Also, such measurements allow automatic adjustment of stimulation energy to a previously-defined optimal potential field in the case of lead migration or postural changes.

A communication system includes a transmitter including a transmission circuit unit that generates an RF signal for transmitting data and an electric-field-coupling antenna that transmits the RF signal as an electrostatic field, a receiver including an electric-field-coupling antenna and a reception circuit unit that subjects an RF signal received by the electric-field-coupling antenna to reception processing, and a surface-wave propagating means for providing a surface wave transmission line made of a conductor that propagates a surface wave radiated from the electric-field-coupling antenna of the transmitter along a surface of the surface wave transmission line.

A low attenuation surface wave transmission line system for launching surface waves on a bare and unconditioned conductor, such as are found in abundance in the power transmission lines of the existing power grids. The conductors within the power grid typically lack dielectric and special conditioning. Accordingly, the present invention includes a first launcher, preferably including a mode converter and an adapter, for receiving an incident wave of electromagnetic energy and propagating a surface wave longitudinally on the power lines. The system includes at least one other launcher, and more likely a number of other launchers, spaced apart from one another along the constellation of transmission lines. The system and associated electric fields along any given conductor are radially and longitudinally symmetrical.

A low attenuation surface wave transmission line system for launching surface waves on a bare and unconditioned conductor, such as are found in abundance in the power transmission lines of the existing power grids. The conductors within the power grid typically lack dielectric and special conditioning. Accordingly, the present invention includes a first launcher, preferably including a mode converter and an adapter, for receiving an incident wave of electromagnetic energy and propagating a surface wave longitudinally on the power lines. The system includes at least one other launcher, and more likely a number of other launchers, spaced apart from one another along the constellation of transmission lines. The system and associated electric fields along any given conductor are radially and longitudinally symmetrical.

The image stability of electrophoretic media, comprising a plurality of particles disposed in a fluid and capable of moving through the fluid upon application of an electric field to the medium, can be improved by including in the fluid either a polystyrene or an aggregating diblock copolymer which forms micelle-like structures in the fluid, the diblock copolymer having a first block soluble in the fluid and a second block not swellable by the fluid. In variable transmission electrophoretic media, haze can be reduced by using as the fluid a mixture of a partially hydrogenated aromatic hydrocarbon and a terpene.

A surgical instrument and method of controlling the surgical instrument are disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a housing and an elongated shaft that extends distally from the housing and defines a first longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument also includes a firing rod disposed in the elongated shaft and a drive mechanism disposed at least partially within the housing. The drive mechanism mechanically cooperates with the firing rod to move the firing rod. A motion sensor senses a change in the electric field (e.g., capacitance, impedance, or admittance) between the firing rod and the elongated shaft. The measurement unit determines a parameter of the motion of the firing rod, such as the position, speed, and direction of the firing rod, based on the sensed change in the electric field. A controller uses the measured parameter of the motion of the firing rod to control the drive mechanism.

A dielectrophoretic display comprises a substrate having walls defining at least one cavity, the cavity having a viewing surface and a side wall inclined to the viewing surface; a suspending fluid contained within the cavity; a plurality of at least one type of particle suspended within the suspending fluid; and means for applying to the substrate an electric field effect effective to cause dielectrophoretic movement of the particles to the side wall of the cavity.

Shifts in the apparent charge stored on a floating gate (or other charge storing element) of a non-volatile memory cell can occur because of the coupling of an electric field based on the charge stored in adjacent floating gates (or other adjacent charge storing elements). The problem occurs most pronouncedly between sets of adjacent memory cells that have been programmed at different times. To compensate for this coupling, the read process for a given memory cell will take into account the programmed state of an adjacent memory cell.

A network for power transmission to a receiver that converts the power into current includes a first node for transmitting power wirelessly in a first area. The first area has a minimum electric or magnetic field strength. The network includes a second node for transmitting power wirelessly in a second area. The second area has a minimum electric or magnetic field strength and overlaps the first area to define an overlap area. In another embodiment, the network includes a source in communication with the first and second nodes which provides power to them. Also disclosed are methods for power transmission to a receiver that converts the power into current.

A method and system for the delivery of radiofrequency energy to the tissue, particularly, the prostate, to alleviate the symptoms of BPH is disclosed. The system incorporates a bipolar or multipolar electrode array to create an electric field where the heat created is confined solely to a specific volume of the prostate gland and therefore the heated tissue is defined only by the electrode geometry. The bipolar electrode array provides a variety of three dimensional, symmetric heating patterns within the prostatic tissue depending on the relative electrode lengths and angular separation. The system provides precision tissue temperature and impedance measurements thereby enabling the surgeon to accurately predict heating pattern performance and tissue response to RF heating.

A mapping catheter is positioned in a heart chamber, and active electrode sites are activated to impose an electric field within the chamber. The blood volume and wall motion modulates the electric field, which is detected by passive electrode sites on the preferred catheter. Electrophysiology measurements, as well as geometry measurements, are taken from the passive electrodes and used to display a map of intrinsic heart activity.

Shifts in the apparent charge stored on a floating gate (or other charge storing element) of a non-volatile memory cell can occur because of the coupling of an electric field based on the charge stored in adjacent floating gates (or other adjacent charge storing elements). The problem occurs most pronouncedly between sets of adjacent memory cells that have been programmed at different times. To compensate for this coupling, the read process for a given memory cell will take into account the programmed state of an adjacent memory cell.

A catheter which may be configured as a loop during an ablation procedure, and a method of use for such a catheter, are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an ablation catheter includes a flexible distal member arranged to inserted into a first vessel in the body of a patient, and an elongated flexible tubular member with a distal portion which is coupled to a proximal portion of the flexible distal member. The elongated flexible tubular member has a flexibility that is greater than or equal to the flexibility of the flexible distal member. The catheter also includes a transmission line which is at least partially disposed within the elongated flexible tubular member. A proximal end of the transmission line is suitable for connection to an electromagnetic energy source. The catheter further includes a transducer that is coupled to the transmission line, and is arranged to generate an electric field sufficiently strong to cause tissue ablation. In one embodiment, a distal portion of the flexible distal member is arranged to protrude from a second vessel of the body of the patient while at least part of the elongated flexible tubular member is located in a cardiac chamber of the heart of the patient.

The invention discloses a surgical instrument and method of controlling the surgical instrument, especially discloses a method and apparatus for determining parameters of linear motion in a surgical instrument. The surgical instrument includes a housing and an elongated shaft that extends distally from the housing and defines a first longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument also includes a firing rod disposed in the elongated shaft and a drive mechanism disposed at least partially within the housing. The drive mechanism mechanically cooperates with the firing rod to move the firing rod. A motion sensor senses a change in the electric field (e.g., capacitance, impedance, or admittance) between the firing rod and the elongated shaft. The measurement unit determines a parameter of the motion of the firing rod, such as the position, speed, and direction of the firing rod, based on the sensed change in the electric field. A controller uses the measured parameter of the motion of the firing rod to control the drive mechanism.

Microchannels having at least an acrylic inner surface and methods of their use in electrophoretic applications are provided. The subject microchannels may be in the form of a variety of configurations suitable for holding an electrophoretic medium. The subject microchannels give rise to substantially reduced EOF and / or adsorption as compared to fused silica under conditions of electrophoresis and find use in a variety of electrophoretic applications in which charged entities are moved through a medium under the influence of the an applied electric field.

An electrophoretic medium comprises a plurality of particles suspended in a suspending fluid, the particles being capable of moving through the fluid upon application of an electric field to the medium, the fluid having dissolved or dispersed therein a polymer having a number average molecular weight in excess of about 20,000, the polymer being essentially non-absorbing on the particles. The polymer improves the bistability of the display (i.e., the period for which a written image persist without the display being refreshed) but does not greatly increase the viscosity of the suspending fluid, thus keeping the switching time of the display within reasonable limits. The medium may be encapsulated, or may be in the form a polymer-dispersed electrophoretic medium.

An apparatus and method for minimally invasive treatment of deep subcutaneous fat deposits in lieu of cosmetic surgery is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a high voltage pulse generator connected to two or more needle electrodes at least one of which is configured for placement deeply under the skin in a treatment site of the patient's body. High voltage pulses, delivered to the electrodes, create an electric field that kills subcutaneous fat cells.