11894 results about "Pressure sensitive" 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 (i) a first surface conductive portion or a variably resistive matrix of a temperature-sensitive resistive material or a pressure-sensitive resistive material, and (ii) a second surface portion coupled to a fixed resistive material that coupled in series or parallel to a voltage source together with the first portion. In use, the engagement plane will apply active Rf energy to ohmically heat the captured tissue until the point in time that a controller senses an electrical parameter of the tissue such as impedance. Thereafter, the controller switches energy delivery to the second surface portion that is resistively heated to thereby apply energy to tissue by conductive heat transfer.

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.

A vapor permeable article includes a porous backing substrate and an open fabric applied to one surface of the backing substrate. The open fabric has a greater porosity than that of the backing substrate. The open fabric may be a woven fabric comprising warp (MD) yarns and weft (CD) yarns, and the warp yarns may be of a lower denier than the weft yarns, so as to facilitate hand-tear of the assembled article. The open fabric is coated with an adhesive in such a manner that the open fabric remains porous and vapor permeable. The backing substrate can be a woven, knit or non-woven fabric, or a porous film, such as an apertured plastic film.

A touchpad assembly and method for providing a signal to a computer indicative of the location and applied pressure of an object touching the touchpad assembly is provided. The touchpad assembly includes X and Y position and pressure sensitive semiconductor resistance sensor layers. The X and Y sensors have a pair of spaced apart X and Y conductive traces running across opposite ends such that a resistance RX connects the pair of X traces and a resistance RY connects the pair of Y traces. The X and Y sensors come into contact at a contact point when an object asserts a pressure on the touchpad. The contact point is connected to each trace by a variable pressure resistance RZ associated with the X and Y sensors and variable position resistances of the X and Y resistances. First and second pair of timing capacitors are connected to respective ones of the pairs of X and Y traces. A microprocessor controls and monitors charging time of the capacitors to determine the position and asserted pressure of the object touching the touchpad.

A desktop operated computer control mouse including a housing, electronic circuitry within the housing, a user manipulable rotatable ball for pointing control, a plurality of finger depressible buttons exposed on the housing and interfacing with sensors electrically connected with the circuitry. At least some of the finger depressible buttons are for user selection of signals to be sent to the computer for window or screen scroll control, and are associated with sensor(s) which are pressure-sensitive analog sensors structured for varying electrical conductance through at least three readable states or values. The readable states are dependant upon depressive pressure applied to the sensor(s) through the finger depressible button(s). The circuitry is structured to read the at least three readable states of the pressure-sensitive analog sensor(s) and to produce signals representing the state or value of the sensor(s). In one embodiment, the analog sensor(s) are elastomeric dome-cap sensor(s) including pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material positioned over proximal circuit elements of the circuitry. In another embodiment the sensors are packaged sensors including button depressible concavo-convexed conductive disks positioned to compress pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material forming at least a portion of an electrical flow path through the packaged sensor. The analog sensors are associated with window or screen scroll control, and provide user determinable scroll rates dependant upon pressure applied by the user through ergonomically correct finger depressible buttons. Methods of use and manufacture are also disclosed.

A flexible packaging laminate is formed to have a built-in opening and reclose feature by forming the laminate as a two-part structure having an outer structure joined in face-to-face relation with an inner structure. Score lines are formed in both structures to enable an opening to be formed through the laminate by lifting an opening portion (e.g., a flap or the like) of the two structures out of the plane of the laminate. The score line through the outer structure defines a larger opening than the score line through the inner structure, such that a marginal region of the outer structure extends beyond the edge of the opening portion of the inner structure. A pressure-sensitive adhesive is used to re-adhere the marginal region to an underlying surface of the inner structure adjacent the opening through the laminate.

A remote control device has a display monitor for rendering an image and a touch screen for user interaction. The touch screen is pressure-sensitive. The device has an operational mode wherein the image is being scaled dependent on a value of the pressure registered by the touch screen.

A transformable pressure sensitive adhesive composition comprised of from about 15 to about 80% by weight of a polymer having a softening point greater than 60° C.; from about 20 to about 85% by weight of a polymerizable resin having a softening point less than 30° C.; a latent initiator in an amount sufficient to cause a reaction between said polymer and said resin; and optionally, a crosslinking agent. The transformable pressure sensitive adhesive has particular applicability in connection with organic light emitting diode display devices, light emitting diode display devices, medical diagnostic testing devices, flexible or rigid LCD display devices, plasma display devices, and electrochromic devices.

A pressure-sensitive degree control method and system of a mobile terminal including a touchscreen for controlling interaction degree of the touchscreen based on a pressure level of a touch are provided. The method includes detecting a pressure level of the touch made on the touchscreen, configuring an interaction degree of the user interface to be determined based on the pressure level, and controlling operations of the user interface according to the interaction degree.

Electrosurgical jaw structures are disclosed that include pressure sensitive variable resistive materials in electrosurgical energy delivery surfaces for welding tissue. The pressure sensitive materials are configured to have megaohm impedance when not engaging tissue and can transform into highly conductive electrodes when compressed under a selected pressure. In a method of the invention, the pressure sensitive variable resistive materials prevent arcing and tissue desiccation when applying bi-polar Rf current to tissue engaged under high compression in an electrosurgical jaw structure.

A pressure sensitive Display Pad having embedded dual functionality such as operating as a mouse for pointer navigation and an array of Virtual Programmable Applications Buttons for selection on the computing device and displaying applications such as a calculator, currency converter, daily event calendar, etc. The device is an improvement to existing resistive and capacitive touch pads that eliminates the need for additional dedicated mechanical buttons for launching utility applications. An exemplary embodiment is disclosed in the context of a laptop computer wherein the Display Pad performs the pointing and selection functions of existing laptop touchpads, and additionally provides for fixed or programmable pressure sensitive application functions using virtual buttons on the touchpad which can launch utility applications associated with those buttons, either on the computer screen or on the Display Pad display or both.

A mechanism to monitor an individual's level of stress in his or her home or workplace is provided. Unobtrusive physiologic stress senses are used in combination with a wireless link and a personal computer or other intelligent device to monitor the user's stress level. Based on a user profile and the user's baseline stress indicators, one or more stress-reducing activities are presented to the user. Additionally, if a user is in a stress-sensitive population, for example, persons with a pre-existing hypertension, the user may selectively enable additional alerts.

A system and method for processing input from a touchscreen having a substrate and a touch surface thereof, adapted for manual interaction with a human hand, having an electronic sensor associated with said substrate adapted to detect a pressure sensitive response to at least two concurrent touches on the touch surface, having a control which receives at least one signal representing the at least two concurrent touches on the touch surface; processes the at least one signal in a manner adapted to maintain a distinction between the at least two concurrent touches; determines a respective difference of at least one coordinate between the at least two concurrent touches; and responds by selectively producing a response at least in dependence on a relationship of the coordinate of the at least two concurrent touches.

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a pressure sensing/force generating device comprising a non-planar substrate, a printed pressure sensitive element comprising (a) a piezoelectric material containing ink composition capable of producing a piezoelectric effect/piezoresistive effect and/or (b) a dielectric material containing ink composition capable of producing a capacitive effect. It also includes a first printed electrode comprising a conductive ink composition, and a second printed electrode comprising a conductive ink composition. The first and second electrodes are in electrical contact with the printed pressure sensitive element. The first and second printed electrodes and the printed pressure sensitive element collectively form a pressure sensitive junction, which is coupled to the non-planar substrate. The present invention further relates to medical devices comprising the pressure sensing/force generating device and methods of making such devices.

The present invention provides a reactive diluent composition which overcomes drawbacks of both the radical-cure and the cationic-cure reactive diluents and can be applied in a broad variety of uses such as paints, inks, adhesives, pressure sensitive adhesives, surface-modifiers, and molding materials; a curable resin composition containing the same; an activated energy ray-curable resin composition; and an activated energy ray-curable ink composition for ink-jet printing. A reactive diluent composition comprising a vinyl ether group-containing (meth)acrylic ester represented by the following general formula (1): CH2=CR<1>-COO-R<2>-O-CH=CH-R<3> (1) wherein R<1 >represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R<2 >represents an organic residue of 2 to 20 carbon atoms; R<3 >represents a hydrogen atom or an organic residue of 1 to 11 carbon atoms and a hydroxyl group-containing polymerizable compound and/or divinyl ether.

A transdermal patch for administering a volatile liquid drug, such as nicotine, transdermally to a patient comprising a four-layer laminated composite of: a top drug impermeable backing layer; a pressure sensitive silicone adhesive layer containing the drug; a pressure sensitive acrylic adhesive layer also containing the drug; and a removable siliconized release liner layer. Also disclosed is a method for treating a person for nicotine dependence and particularly for treating a woman for nicotine dependence.

A touch screen assembly for an electronic device such as a cell phone or PDA. The touch screen assembly generally comprises a floating lens suspended over the display and, optionally, the keypad to allow a degree of freedom. An underlying thin connecting layer such as a flex film is attached beneath the floating lens, and a plurality (for example, four) differentially-mounted pressure sensors are mounted beneath the floating lens and are electrically connected to the electronic device via the flex film. The pressure sensors are differentially positioned along an x- and y-axis for registering a pressure z from a touch to the lens at each of the four positions, to provide four data sets (x_1-4, y_1-4, z_1-4). Control software then interprets the exact touch-coordinate from the four data sets and generates a control signal. An optional haptic response generator and/or motion sensor are also contemplated. When used in a smaller electronics device such as a cell phone or PDA the touch screen sensor technology of the present invention is exceedingly thin and is capable of modular assembly for more-or-less “snap-in” construction.