20268 results about "Ceramic" patented technology

A working end of a surgical instrument that carries first and second jaws for delivering energy to tissue. In a preferred embodiment, at least one jaw of the working end defines a tissue-engagement plane that contacts the targeted tissue. The cross-section of the engagement plane reveals that it defines a surface conductive portion that overlies a variably resistive matrix of a temperature-sensitive resistive material or a pressure-sensitive resistive material. An interior of the jaw carries a conductive material or electrode that is coupled to an Rf source and controller. In an exemplary embodiment, the variably resistive matrix can comprise a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material, such as a ceramic, that is engineered to exhibit a dramatically increasing resistance (i.e., several orders of magnitude) above a specific temperature of the material. In use, the engagement plane will apply active Rf energy to captured tissue until the point in time that the variably resistive matrix is heated to its selected switching range. Thereafter, current flow from the conductive electrode through the engagement surface will be terminated due to the exponential increase in the resistance of variably resistive matrix to provide instant and automatic reduction of Rf energy application. Further, the variably resistive matrix can effectively function as a resistive electrode to thereafter conduct thermal energy to the engaged tissue volume. Thus, the jaw structure can automatically modulate the application of energy to tissue between active Rf heating and passive conductive heating of captured tissue to maintain a target temperature level.

An electrosurgical medical device and technique for creating thermal welds in engaged tissue that provides very high compressive forces. In one exemplary embodiment, at least one jaw of the instrument defines a tissue engagement plane carrying first and second surface portions that comprise (i) an electrically conductive material and (ii) a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material having a selected increased resistance that differs at each selected increased temperature over a targeted treatment range. One type of PTC material is a doped ceramic that can be engineered to exhibit a selected positively sloped temperature-resistance curve over about 37° C. to 100° C. The 70° C. to 100° C. range can bracket a targeted “thermal treatment range” at which tissue welded can be accomplished. The engineered resistance of the PTC matrix at the upper end of the temperature range will terminate current flow through the matrix. In one mode of operation, the engagement plane cause ohmic heating within tissue from Rf energy delivery tissue PTC matrix is heated to exceed the treatment range. Thereafter, energy density in the engaged tissue will be modulated as the conductivity of the second portion hovers within the targeted treatment range to thereby provide optical tissue heating for purposes of tissue welding.

A biocompatible wound dressing comprised of a pad for insertion substantially into a wound site and a wound drape for sealing enclosure of the foam pad at the wound site. The pad, comprised of a foam or other like material having relatively few open cells in contact with the areas upon which cell growth is to be encouraged so as to avoid unwanted adhesions, but having sufficiently numerous open cells so that drainage and negative pressure therapy may continue unimpaired, is placed in fluid communication with a vacuum source for promotion of fluid drainage, as known in the art. The pad is further comprised of an ultra-low density fused-fibrous ceramic, or a bioabsorbable branched polymer, or cell growth enhancing matrix or scaffolding.

A semiconductor light emitting device comprising a light emitting layer disposed between an n-type region and a p-type region is combined with a ceramic layer which is disposed in a path of light emitted by the light emitting layer. The ceramic layer is composed of or includes a wavelength converting material such as a phosphor. Luminescent ceramic layers according to embodiments of the invention may be more robust and less sensitive to temperature than prior art phosphor layers. In addition, luminescent ceramics may exhibit less scattering and may therefore increase the conversion efficiency over prior art phosphor layers.

A wafer holder that prevents positional deviation of the wafer mounted on the wafer-mounting surface of a chuck top and enables better thermal uniformity of the wafer, as well as a heater unit including the wafer holder and a wafer prober mounting these are provided. The wafer holder has a chuck top mounting and fixing the wafer and a supporter supporting the chuck top, and the chuck top has water absorption of at least 0.01% and preferably at least 0.1%. Preferable material of the chuck top is a composite of metal and ceramics, and particularly, a composite of aluminum and silicon carbide, or a composite of silicon and silicon carbide.

A plasma processing system has a susceptor, provided in a processing vessel, for supporting thereon a substrate. A process gas is supplied into the processing vessel to produce the plasma of the process gas. The susceptor has a dielectric film formed on a base, and a plurality of protrusions formed on the film. The protrusions of the susceptor are formed by thermal-spraying a ceramic onto the dielectric film via an aperture plate having a plurality of circular apertures.

A hand-held self-contained nerve-stimulation device and method using light to provide a source of precise stimulation on one or more nerve fibers. In some embodiments, this simulation is provided through a device and method wherein a laser- or LED-light source is mounted to the handpiece. Light is passed from the light source through optical tip to simulate nerves. In some embodiments, the device is constructed from non-magnetic material such as glass, plastic or ceramics. In some embodiments, the light emanating from the optical tip can be controlled manually or automatically. In some embodiments, the handpiece contains a self-contained power source, such as batteries. In some embodiments, the handpiece is at least in part, activated by remote control in order to prevent moving the handpiece during activation. Some embodiments include a unit operable to sense a response of nerve stimulation and to suppress a laser-ablation surgery operation.

A composition, system, articles and method for the enhancement of clotting in wounds with extravascular blood flow, especially where the surface of the tissue has been broken is described. The system consists of biotolerable, porous particulates applied to the surface of a wound with liquid blood thereon. The porous nature of the particulate material, either free-flowing or packaged or restrained on or in a surface, enhances clotting. Chemical or biochemical agents, such as additional clotting agents, therapeutic agents, antibiotics, clot strengthening agents (such as fibrous structural materials), and the like may optionally be included on, with or within the porous particles. The particles may comprise such diverse materials as organics, metallics, inorganics, ceramics, and the like, both natural and artificial. It is generally preferred that the pore size distribution lies within a general range, and this range may vary from animal to animal and condition to condition, but generally falls within about 0.5 to 1000 nanometers or 3,000 to 200,000 Daltons.

An anode structure for lithium batteries includes nanofeatured silicon particulates dispersed in a conductive network. The particulates are preferably made from metallurgical grade silicon powder via HF/HNO₃ acid treatment, yielding crystallite sizes from about 1 to 20 nm and pore sizes from about 1 to 100 nm. Surfaces of the particles may be terminated with selected chemical species to further modify the anode performance characteristics. The conductive network is preferably a carbonaceous material or composite, but it may alternatively contain conductive ceramics such as TiN or B₄C. The anode structure may further contain a current collector of copper or nickel mesh or foil.

Shaped ceramic articles can be obtained by screen printing the desired shapes from a dimensionally stable dispersion of a precursor of the ceramic onto a surface, drying the screen printed shapes so obtained and firing them to generate the shaped ceramic articles.

A thermally sprayed member or an electrode includes a basic material, a thermally sprayed film formed on the surface of the basic material, the thermally sprayed film being made of an insulating ceramic and a metallic intermediate layer provided between the basic material and the thermally sprayed film for increasing a bonding force therebetween, wherein the thermally sprayed film side of the member is exposed to a high frequency plasma atmosphere and the electrode is intended to form a high frequency plasma on the side of the thermally sprayed film. The basic material includes a base portion made of a conductive material and a dielectric portion provided to include a part of a surface of the basic material. Further, the intermediate layer is comprised of a plurality of island-shaped parts isolated from each other.

A remote plasma generator includes a body, a driver, and a protection tube. The body includes a gas injection port, a plasma exhaust port, and a plasma generation pipe through which discharge gas or plasma flow. The driver is coupled to the body and generates a magnetic field and plasma in the body. The protection tube is at an inner side of the plasma generation pipe to protect the plasma generation pipe from plasma.

A ceramic reference in conjunction with a spectrometer, a metallized ceramic material, and a method of utilizing a ceramic material as a reference in the ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, or infrared spectral regions are presented. The preferred embodiments utilize a ceramic reference material to diffusely reflect incident source light toward a detector element for quantification in a reproducible fashion. Alternative embodiments metallize either the incident surface or back surface of to form a surface diffuse reflectance standard. Optional wavelength reference layers or protective layers may be added to the ceramic or to the metallized layer. The reference ceramic is used to provide a measure of optical signal of an analyzer as a function of the analyzers spatial, temporal, and environmental state.

A ceramic article which is resistant to erosion by halogen-containing plasmas used in semiconductor processing. The ceramic article includes ceramic which is multi-phased, typically including two phase to three phases. The ceramic is formed from yttrium oxide at a molar concentration ranging from about 50 mole % to about 75 mole %; zirconium oxide at a molar concentration ranging from about 10 mole % to about 30 mole %; and at least one other component, selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, scandium oxide, neodymium oxide, niobium oxide, samarium oxide, ytterbium oxide, erbium oxide, cerium oxide, and combinations thereof, at a molar concentration ranging from about 10 mole % to about 30 mole %.

Medical devices having topographic coatings are provided. The topographic coatings have regions of high and low elevation and may be composed of polymers, metals, ceramics, proteins and other biocompatible materials. Such topographic coatings facilitate the deposition, elution, and protection of therapeutic agents on the medical device, manipulation of the medical device, and other purposes. In particularly preferred embodiments, the medical device comprises a stent for vascular implantation.

A biocompatible wound dressing comprised of a pad for insertion substantially into a wound site and a wound drape for sealing enclosure of the foam pad at the wound site. The pad, comprised of a foam or other like material having relatively few open cells in contact with the areas upon which cell growth is to be encouraged so as to avoid unwanted adhesions, but having sufficiently numerous open cells so that drainage and negative pressure therapy may continue unimpaired, is placed in fluid communication with a vacuum source for promotion of fluid drainage, as known in the art. The pad is further comprised of an ultra-low density fused-fibrous ceramic, or a bioabsorbable branched polymer, or cell growth enhancing matrix or scaffolding.

A semiconductor device comprising the semiconductor element and the support body made of a stack of ceramics layers having a recess in which a electrical conductors are electrically connected with the semiconductor element, wherein at least a part of the top face of the recess side wall is covered by a resin, thereby providing a light emitting device of high reliability.