226 results about "Mechanical integrity" patented technology

A flexible fingerprint sensor laminate comprising: a layer of flexible substrate having a front surface and a back surface, at least a domain of electrically conductive material deposited on the front surface, a protective hard coating layer that covers the domain of electrically conductive material, and a plurality of sensor electrodes deposited preferably on the back surface and related circuitry (e.g. integrated circuit for driving and sensing). Preferably, the layer of flexible substrate is no greater than 20 μm in thickness, the domain of electrically conductive material has a thickness no greater than 2 μm, the protective hard coating has a thickness no greater than 1 μm, and the laminate has a surface sheet resistance no greater than 200 Ohm per square and surface scratch resistance no less than 3 H. The laminate exhibits good scratch resistance, low sheet resistance, good flexibility and mechanical integrity. The invention also provides a biometric sensor, such as a fingerprint sensor. The invention further provides a process for producing such a sensor laminate.

A touch screen uses one or more force sensors to determine location of the touch on the screen. The force sensor has an accurately determined direction of sensitivity and, therefore, has reduced sensitivity to forces that are non-perpendicular to the screen. The sensor is thin in relation to the area of the active force-sensing element, allowing low profile force touch screens to have a better combination of mechanical integrity, accuracy, sensitivity, and high signal to noise ratio than has heretofore been achieved. The sensor may also be rotationally soft, so that it is effective at preventing twisting motions of the overlay or the support surface from affecting the sensed force.

The present invention generally encompasses the control of the release rate of agents from a polymeric matrix. This control over the release rate of agents provides for control over, inter alia, the therapeutic, prophylactic, diagnostic, and ameliorative effects that are realized by a patient in need of such treatment. In addition, the control of the release rate of agents also has an effect upon the mechanical integrity of the polymeric matrix, as well as a relationship to a subject's absorption rate of the absorbable polymers.

A bump shear test is disclosed for evaluating the mechanical integrity of low-k interconnect stacks in an integrated circuit which includes a die test structure (11) having a stiff structural component (501, 502) positioned above and affixed to a conductive metal pad (103) formed in a last metal layer (104). The die test structure (11) may also include a dedicated support structure (41) below the conductive metal pad which includes a predetermined pattern of metal lines formed in the interconnect layers (18, 22, 26). After mounting the integrated circuit in a test device, a shear knife (601) is positioned for lateral movement to cause the shear knife to contact the stiff structural component (501). Any damage to the die test structure caused by the lateral movement of the shear knife may be assessed to evaluate the mechanical integrity of the interconnect stack.

A hybrid contact lens includes a substantially rigid center portion and a substantially flexible skirt portion connected to the center portion. The skirt portion is formed using xerogels compatible with diluents comprising at least one selected from polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, lactide, glycolide, a polyacetal, a cyclic acetal, a polyketal, a cyclic ketal, a polyorthoester, a cyclic orthoester, di-t-butyl-dicarbonate, tris(trimethylsilyl)amine, and 2,2,2-trifluoroacetamide. These diluents are formulated to function as a stand-in for water in the xerogel polymer, allowing the xerogel to form and bond to the rigid center portion in its fully expanded state. Upon hydration of the hybrid lens, substantially little dimensional change, and thus substantially little distortion, is obtained in the skirt portion. The diluents of the present invention further preserve the mechanical integrity of the xerogel, allowing the xerogel to be machined to final shape, improving the dimensional tolerances which can be achieved in the hybrid lens.

One embodiment of the present invention is a system comprising one or more subsystems, which can be practiced alone or in combination, which together allow for monitoring of groundwater, rock, and casing for production flow and leakage of hydrocarbon fluids. A flow measurement subsystem measures flow of hydrocarbons in the horizontal casing string. A well mechanical integrity monitoring subsystem monitors the mechanical integrity of the natural gas production well, including the junctures of a completed well. An aquifer monitoring subsystem directly monitors water aquifer(s) underneath and surrounding a natural gas production well or pad, including monitoring wells or existing water wells. A communication subsystem is used to communicate measurements taken downhole to the surface. The present invention may be used to enhance the production from a gas bearing shale formation, mitigate liability associated with hydrocarbon migration, and monitor for a loss of mechanical integrity of a well.

A bioabsorbable polymeric stent with time dependent structure and properties and methods of treating a diseased blood vessel with the bioabsorable polymeric stent are disclosed. The structure and properties of the stent change with time and allow the vessel to be restored to a natural unstented state. The bioabsorbable stent loses mechanical integrity in a controlled manner due to modification of selected structural elements.

A hemostatic tissue sealant sponge and a spray for acute wounds are disclosed. The sponge comprises hydrophobically modified polymers that anchor themselves within the membrane of cells in the vicinity of the wound. The seal is strong enough to substantially prevent the loss of blood inside the boundaries of the sponge, yet weak enough to substantially prevent damage to newly formed tissue upon recovery and subsequent removal of the sponge. In examples, the polymers inherently prevent microbial infections and are suitable for oxygen transfer required during normal wound metabolism. The spray comprises hydrophobically modified polymers that form solid gel networks with blood cells to create a physical clotting mechanism to prevent loss of blood. In an example, the spray further comprises at least one reagent that increases the mechanical integrity of the clot. In another example, the reagent prevents microbial infection of the wound.

An additive printer dispenses filament having high volume content of axial reinforcing fibers impregnated with a partially cured thermoset material. Partial curing provides sufficient mechanical integrity for high-density fiber support and retention while maintaining tackiness necessary to allow layer by layer additive construction. The complete construction may then be heated to provide complete curing.

A system and method, and robotic equipment for mechanical and/or electrical bypassing of short sections of energized high voltage line conductors by gripping the conductor at two close-by points, making good electrical and mechanical connection, then drawing the two points towards one another so as to relieve both mechanical and current-carrying duty of the bypassed conductor section. Doing so can provide slack on the bypassed conductor section for maintenance or repair while simultaneously providing an alternative path for electric current, or increase tension on the adjacent conductor sections by essentially shortening the conductor in the region where the invention is applied. The invention may then reverse direction, placing (stretch) tension on the bypassed conductor section and the point of repair to assure its mechanical integrity. Mechanical bypassing only to temporarily shorten specific conductor spans may be achieved by the same device. Electrical bypassing only may be achieved in a similar manner by gripping and bridging two separate high voltage conductors, thus providing a means to connect and/or disconnect them with the aid of switching equipment incorporated into the invention. The invention allows all of the foregoing to be accomplished at line potential and in close line proximity by virtue of its being mounted on an insulated boom or suspended from a hovering helicopter or suspended from the line itself.

A plurality of metal interconnects incorporating a Group II element alloy for protecting the metal interconnects and method to form and incorporate the Group II element alloy are described. In one embodiment, a Group II element alloy is used as a seed layer, or a portion thereof, which decreases the line resistance and increases the mechanical strength of a metal interconnect. In another embodiment, a Group II element alloy is used to form a barrier layer, which, in addition to decreasing the line resistance and increasing the mechanical integrity, also increases the chemical integrity of a metal interconnect.

The invention relates to a separator for non-aqueous-type electrochemical device that has been coated with an aqueous fluoropolymer coating. The fluoropolymer is preferably polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and more preferably a copolymer of polyvinylidene fluoride. The fluoropolymer coating provides a porous coating on porous substrate separator used in non-aqueous-type electrochemical devices, such as batteries and electric double layer capacitors. The fluoropolymer coating improves the thermal resistance and mechanical integrity, and lowers the interfacial electrical impedance of the porous separator. The fluoropolymer composition optionally contains powdery particles that are held together on the separator by the fluoropolymer binder. In one embodiment, the starting fluoropolymer dispersion is free of fluorinated surfactant. In another embodiment, one or more fugitive adhesion promoters are added.

PEMFCs based on perfluorinated ionomer membranes (such as NAFION) are limited to temperatures below 100° C. because of the critical dependence of NAFION conductivity on the stability of liquid water. Ion-conductive composite compositions provided by the present invention, ion exchange membranes including such composite compositions and fuel cells incorporating those membranes are capable of maintaining high conductivity and mechanical integrity when temperature is above 100° C.

The invention relates to a radiation-curable coating, ink or matrix composition comprising: (A) a polyester (meth)acrylate oligomer comprising more than about 1 mole of diacid, (B) optionally, a reactive diluent, and (C) optionally, a photoinitiator, wherein the composition when cured and aged at 85° C. and 85% Relative Humidity for 10 days is hydrolytically stable to such an extent that the coating, ink or matrix maintains mechanical integrity. The invention further relates to said compositions for use as a primary coating composition, which, after cure, has a modulus of less than about 5 MPa, for use as a secondary coating or ink composition and for use as a matrix material, which, after cure, has a modulus of at least about 5 MPa. The invention also relates to a coated and optionally inked optical fiber and to an optical fiber ribbon comprising a coating, ink or matrix material as described above.

An improved semiconductor device interconnect structure comprising a dielectric layer recessed with respect to the conductive interconnect features. This structure and method reduces embedded metallic residues from CMP scratches and metal cap applications and provides improved mechanical integrity at the capping layer/liner/dielectric interface.