1202 results about "Pulse duration" patented technology

A method of tailoring conformality of a film deposited on a patterned surface includes: (I) depositing a film by PEALD or pulsed PECVD on the patterned surface; (II) etching the film, wherein the etching is conducted in a pulse or pulses, wherein a ratio of an etching rate of the film on a top surface and that of the film on side walls of the patterns is controlled as a function of the etching pulse duration and the number of etching pulses to increase a conformality of the film; and (III) repeating (I) and (II) to satisfy a target film thickness.

A method of tailoring conformality of a film deposited on a patterned surface includes: (I) depositing a film by PEALD or pulsed PECVD on the patterned surface; (II) etching the film, wherein the etching is conducted in a pulse or pulses, wherein a ratio of an etching rate of the film on a top surface and that of the film on side walls of the patterns is controlled as a function of the etching pulse duration and the number of etching pulses to increase a conformality of the film; and (III) repeating (I) and (II) to satisfy a target film thickness.

A Laser Imaging, Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system that automatically adjusts laser output so that no eye damage occurs to human targets. In one example, a component automatically measures range to targets in a field of view and determines the closest targets based on the measured range. A laser device outputs a laser beam and a controller adjusts one of pulse repetition frequency, power, or pulse duration of the laser device based on the measured range of the closest target in order to comply with a predefined eye safety model.

Apparatus for drug administration is provided, including an ingestible capsule, which includes a drug, stored by the capsule, and an environmentally-sensitive mechanism, adapted to change a state thereof responsively to a disposition of the capsule within a gastrointestinal (GI) tract of a subject. The capsule further includes first and second electrodes, and a control component, adapted to facilitate passage of the drug, in response to a change of state of the environmentally-sensitive mechanism, through an epithelial layer of the GI tract by driving the first and second electrodes to apply a series of pulses at a current of less than about 5 mA, at a frequency of between about 12 Hz and about 24 Hz, and with a pulse duration of between about 0.5 milliseconds and about 3 milliseconds.

A nonvolatile memory cell comprising doped semiconductor material and a diode can store memory states by changing the resistance of the doped semiconductor material by application of a set pulse (decreasing resistance) or a reset pulse (increasing resistance.) Set pulses are of short duration and above a threshold voltage, while reset pulses are longer duration and below a threshold voltage. In some embodiments multiple resistance states can be achieved, allowing for a multi-state cell, while restoring a prior high-resistance state allows for an rewriteable cell. In some embodiments, the diode and a switchable memory formed of doped semiconductor material are formed in series, while in other embodiments, the diode itself serves as the semiconductor switchable memory element.

A system for non-invasive treatment of a patient's trabecular meshwork to treat primary open-angle glaucoma. The system and technique applies energy directly to media within clogged spaces in a patient's trabecular meshwork to increase aqueous outflow facility by (i) localization of microimplantable bodies carrying a selected exogenous chromophore, such as particles with a gold surface, in deeper regions of the trabecular meshwork, and (ii) irradiation of the microimplantables with a selected coherent wavelength having a power level and pulse duration that is strongly absorbed by the surfaces of the microimplantables.

A transducer according to various aspects of the present invention provides high fractional bandwidth with relatively low degradation of the pulse duration and sensitivity. The transducer includes a back matching layer behind the transducer material. The back matching layer is characterized by an impedance selected to transmit a selected portion of the backwards propagating acoustic energy to an absorption layer. The remaining acoustic energy is reflected in the desired direction of propagation. As a result, the transducer provides enhanced bandwidth without excessive loss of sensitivity or increase in pulse duration.

Systems and methods for laser scribing provide extended depth affectation into a substrate or workpiece by focusing a laser beam such that the beam passes into the workpiece using a waveguide, self-focusing effect to cause internal crystal damage along a channel extending into the workpiece. Different optical effects may be used to facilitate the waveguide, self-focusing effect, such as multi-photon absorption in the material of the workpiece, transparency of the material of the workpiece, and aberrations of the focused laser. The laser beam may have a wavelength, pulse duration, and pulse energy, for example, to provide transmission through the material and multi-photon absorption in the material. An aberrated, focused laser beam may also be used to provide a longitudinal spherical aberration range sufficient to extend the effective depth of field (DOF) into the workpiece.

Techniques for varying stimulus parameters used in neural stimulation to improve therapy efficacy, minimize energy consumption, minimize undesired side effects, and minimize loss of therapeutic effectiveness due to physiologic tolerance to stimulation. Neural stimulation is provided having a stimulation amplitude, a stimulation frequency, a stimulation pulse duration, an electrode-firing pattern, and a set of electrode-firing-polarity conditions. At least one of the stimulation parameters is pseudo-randomly varied. A second stimulation parameter is changed based upon having pseudo-randomly varied the first stimulation parameter and based upon a predetermined relationship specifying how changes in the first parameter affect desirable values for the second parameter.

Method and apparatus are provided to treat atherosclerosis wherein the artery is partially closed by dilating the artery while preserving the vital and sensitive endothelial layer thereof Microwave energy having a frequency from 3 GHz to 300 GHz is propagated into the arterial wall to produce a desired temperature profile therein at tissue depths sufficient for thermally necrosing connective tissue and softening fatty and waxy plaque while limiting heating of surrounding tissues including the endothelial laser and / or other healthy tissue, organs, and blood. The heating period for raising the temperature a potentially desired amount, about 20 DEG C., within the atherosclerotic lesion may be less than about one second. In one embodiment of the invention, a radically beveled waveguide antenna is used to deliver microwave energy at frequencies from 25 GHz or 30 GHz to about 300 GHz and is focused towards a particular radial sector of the artery. Because the atherosclerotic lesions are often asymmetrically disposed, directable or focussed heating preserves healthy sectors of the artery and applies energy to the asymmetrically positioned lesion faster than a non-directed beam. A computer simulation predicts isothermic temperature profiles for the given conditions and man be used in selecting power, pulse duration, beam width, and frequency of operation to maximize energy deposition and control heat rise within the atherosclerotic lesion without harming healthy tissues or the sensitive endothelium cells.

A laser-based system for processing target material within a microscopic region without causing undesirable changes in electrical or physical characteristics of at least one material surrounding the target material, the system includes a seed laser, an optical amplifier, and a beam delivery system. The seed laser for generating a sequence of laser pulses having a first pre-determined wavelength. The optical amplifier for amplifying at least a portion of the sequence of pulses to obtain an amplified sequence of output pulses. The beam delivery system for delivering and focusing at least one pulse of the amplified sequence of pulses onto the target material. The at least one output pulse having a pulse duration in the range of about 10 picoseconds to less than 1 nanosecond. The pulse duration being within a thermal processing range. The at least one focused output pulse having sufficient power density at a location within the target material to reduce the reflectivity of the target material and efficiently couple the focused output into the target material to remove the target material.

An ultra wide bandwidth, high speed, spread spectrum communications system uses short wavelets of electromagnetic energy to transmit information through objects such as walls or earth. The communication system uses baseband codes formed from time shifted and inverted wavelets to encode data on a RF signal. Typical wavelet pulse durations are on the order of 100 to 1000 picoseconds with a bandwidth of approximately 8 GHz to 1 GHz, respectively. The combination of short duration wavelets and encoding techniques are used to spread the signal energy over an ultra wide frequency band such that the energy is not concentrated in any particular narrow band (e.g. VHF: 30-300 MHz or UHF: 300-1000 MHz) and is not detected by conventional narrow band receivers so it does not interfere with those communication systems. The use of pulse codes composed of time shifted and inverted wavelets gives the system according to the present invention has a spatial resolution on the order of 1 foot which is sufficient to minimize the negative effects of multipath interference and permit time domain rake processing.

A refractive laser surgery process is disclosed for using compact, low-cost ophthalmic laser systems which have computer-controlled scanning with a non-contact delivery device for both photo-ablation and photo-coagulation in corneal reshaping. The basic laser systems may include flash-lamp and diode pumped UV solid state lasers (193-215 nm), compact excimer laser (193 nm), free-running Er:glass (1.54 microns), Ho:YAG (2.1 microns), Q-switched Er:YAG (2.94 microns), and tunable IR lasers, (750-1100) nm and (2.5-3.2) microns. The advantages of the non-contact, scanning device used in the process over other prior art lasers include being safer, reduced cost, more compact and more precise and with greater flexibility. The theory of beam overlap and of ablation rate and coagulation patterns is also disclosed for system parameters. Lasers are selected with energy of (0.01-10) mJ, repetition rate of (1-10,000), pulse duration of 0.01 nanoseconds to a few hundreds of microseconds, and with spot size of (0.05-2) mm for use with refractive laser surgery.

An implantable restriction device can be configured to provide a restriction in a patient, for example as a function of the pressure of fluid. The implantable restriction device can include one or more sensors configured to sense a variety of parameters, such as pressure of the fluid within the implantable restriction device, pulse width, pulse amplitude, pulse count, pulse duration, or frequency, electrical characteristics, or other parameters. Data obtained by the one or more sensors (for example, the data representing pressure, pulse characteristics, and so on) may be communicated to a device located external to the patient, such as a data logger, using telemetry coils or other communicators. The data logger may store the data, and may communicate the data to a remote location via a network such as the Internet. A docking station may be provided to couple the data logger to a network and / or to recharge a cell in the data logger. The logged data may be analyzed and / or displayed using a variety of techniques to assess and / or track the condition of the restriction device or of the patient, to monitor patient physiology, or for other purposes.

A method of spectrally broadening light pulses includes the steps of providing the light pulses with a laser source, said light pulses having a pulse duration below 1 ps, in-coupling the light pulses into a hollow optical waveguide device, and spectrally broadening the light pulses propagating along the pulse guiding medium by subjecting them to a Raman nonlinearity via excitation of a Raman polarization having a first Raman period, wherein the optical waveguide device subjects the light pulses to anomalous group velocity dispersion which combines with the spectral broadening of the light pulses to result in a Raman-enhanced self-compression of the light pulses, and the light pulses further propagate along the optical waveguide device such that the Raman-enhanced self compression results in a further excitation of a Raman polarization having a second Raman period which is faster than the first Raman period.

An implantable restriction device can be configured to provide a restriction in a patient, for example as a function of the pressure of fluid. The implantable restriction device can include one or more sensors configured to sense a variety of parameters, such as pressure of the fluid within the implantable restriction device, pulse width, pulse amplitude, pulse count, pulse duration, or frequency, electrical characteristics, or other parameters. Data obtained by the one or more sensors (for example, the data representing pressure, pulse characteristics, and so on) may be communicated to a device located external to the patient, such as a data logger, using telemetry coils or other communicators. The data logger may store the data, and may communicate the data to a remote location via a network such as the Internet. A docking station may be provided to couple the data logger to a network and / or to recharge a cell in the data logger. The logged data may be analyzed and / or displayed using a variety of techniques to assess and / or track the condition of the restriction device or of the patient, to monitor patient physiology, or for other purposes.

Apparatus (30) for drug administration is provided, including an ingestible capsule (32), which includes a drug (36), stored by the capsule (32), and an environmentally-sensitive mechanism (18), adapted to change a state thereof responsively to a disposition of the capsule (32) within a gastrointestinal (GI) tract (50) of a subject. The capsule (32) further includes first and second electrodes (16), and a control component (14), adapted to facilitate passage of the drug (36), in response to a change of state of the environmentally-sensitive mechanism (18), through an epithelial layer of the GI tract (50) by driving the first and second electrodes (16) to apply a series of pulses at a current of less than about 10 mA, at a frequency of between about 12 Hz and about 24 Hz, and with a pulse duration of between about 0.5 milliseconds and about 3 milliseconds. Other embodiments are also described.

A two wire communication system capable of transmitting data and transferring power by the used of an electrical bi-polar waveform across a two wire conductor from a controller in communication with the two-wire conductor to at least one module in communication with the controller and capable of transmitting data from the module to the controller; and a remote electrical device in communication with the controller. Usable data may be continuously transmitted across the two wire conductor independent of and during power transmission between the controller and the at least one module without loss of data transmission time and without affecting the transfer of power to the at least one module. The data is transmitted across the two wire conductor to the modules by pulse duration signals at the same time power is transmitted to the modules. The system is capable of using up to 100% of transmission time to transmit data without affecting transfer of power to the at least one module.

An implantable restriction device can be configured to provide a restriction in a patient, for example as a function of the pressure of fluid. The implantable restriction device can include one or more sensors configured to sense a variety of parameters, such as pressure of the fluid within the implantable restriction device, pulse width, pulse amplitude, pulse count, pulse duration, or frequency, electrical characteristics, or other parameters. Data obtained by the one or more sensors (for example, the data representing pressure, pulse characteristics, and so on) may be communicated to a device located external to the patient, such as a data logger, using telemetry coils or other communicators. The data logger may store the data, and may communicate the data to a remote location via a network such as the Internet. A docking station may be provided to couple the data logger to a network and / or to recharge a cell in the data logger. The logged data may be analyzed and / or displayed using a variety of techniques to assess and / or track the condition of the restriction device or of the patient, to monitor patient physiology, or for other purposes.

A laser-based method of removing a target link structure of a circuit fabricated on a substrate includes generating a pulsed laser output at a pre-determined wavelength less than an absorption edge of the substrate. The laser output includes at least one pulse having a pulse duration in the range of about 10 picoseconds to less than 1 nanosecond, the pulse duration being within a thermal laser processing range. The method also includes delivering and focusing the laser output onto the target link structure. The focused laser output has sufficient power density at a location within the target structure to reduce the reflectivity of the target structure and efficiently couple the focused laser output into the target structure to remove the link without damaging the substrate.

An erase sequence of a non-volatile storage device includes an erase operation followed by a soft programming operation. The erase operation applies one or more erase pulses to the storage elements, e.g., via a substrate, until an erase verify level is satisfied. The number of erase pulses is tracked and recorded as an indicia of the number of programming-erase cycles which the storage device has experienced. The soft programming operation applies soft programming pulses to the storage elements until a soft programming verify level is satisfied. Based on the number of erase pulses, the soft programming operation time is shortened by skipping verify operations for a specific number of initial soft programming pulses which is a function of the number of erase pulses. Also, a characteristic of the soft programming operation can be optimized, such as starting amplitude, step size or pulse duration.

Method and apparatus are provided to treat atherosclerosis wherein the artery is partially closed by dilating the artery while preserving the vital and sensitive endothelial layer thereof. Microwave energy having a frequency from 3 GHz to 300 GHz is propagated into the arterial wall to produce a desired temperature profile therein at tissue depths sufficient for thermally necrosing connective tissue and softening fatty and waxy plaque while limiting heating of surrounding tissues including the endothelial layer and / or other healthy tissue, organs, and blood. The heating period for raising the temperature a potentially desired amount, about 20° C. within the atherosclerotic lesion may be less than about one second. In one embodiment of the invention, a radically beveled waveguide antenna is used to deliver microwave energy at frequencies from 25 GHz or 30 GHz to about 300 GHz and is focused towards a particular radial sector of the artery. Because the atherosclerotic lesions are often asymmetrically disposed directable or focussed heating preserves healthy sectors of the artery and applies energy to the asymmetrically positioned lesion faster than a non-directed beam. A computer simulation predicts isothermic temperature profiles for the given conditions and may be used in selecting power, pulse duration, beam width, and frequency of operation to maximize energy deposition and control heat rise within the atherosclerotic lesion without harming healthy tissues or the sensitive endothelium cells.

A laser-based method and apparatus for corneal surgery. The present invention is intended to be applied primarily to ablate organic materials, and human cornea in particular. The invention uses a laser source which has the characteristics of providing a shallow ablation depth (0.2 microns or less per laser pulse), and a low ablation energy density threshold (less than or equal to about 10 mJ / cm2), to achieve optically smooth ablated corneal surfaces. The preferred laser includes a laser emitting approximately 100–50,000 laser pulses per second, with a wavelength of about 198–300 nm and a pulse duration of about 1–5,000 picoseconds. Each laser pulse is directed by a highly controllable laser scanning system. Described is a method of distributing laser pulses and the energy deposited on a target surface such that surface roughness is controlled within a specific range. Included is a laser beam intensity monitor and a beam intensity adjustment means, such that constant energy level is maintained throughout an operation. Eye movement during an operation is corrected for by a corresponding compensation in the location of the surgical beam. Beam operation is terminated if the laser parameters or the eye positioning is outside of a predetermined tolerable range. The surgical system can be used to perform surgical procedures including removal of corneal scar, making incisions, cornea transplants, and to correct myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and other corneal surface profile defects.

A method and system for treating dysphagia using electrical stimulation of a human's or animals's vagus nerve, or recurrent laryngeal nerve, or both to cause glottic or vocal fold motion in humans or animals. Stimulation is caused by utilizing a power source; an external controller for generating and providing an output signal having a given intensity, frequency, and pulse duration; an output protector circuit for limiting the intensity of the output signal; a treatment duration circuit for controlling the duration of operation of the external controller, a ramp control circuit for controlling the intensity of the output signal; and a monitor portion for displaying operating parameters of the device. The external controller regulates the intensity, the frequency, and the pulse duration of the output signal in accordance with a procedure for treating dysphagia.

Various embodiments of a system described herein relate to micromachining materials using ultrashort visible laser pulses. The ultrashort laser pulses may be green and have a wavelength between about 500 to 550 nanometers in some embodiments. Additionally, the pulses may have a pulse duration of less than one picosecond in certain embodiments.

A method of cutting an article (172) from a chemically strengthened glass substrate (110) includes generating a pulsed laser beam (108) from a laser source (106). The pulsed laser beam (108) may have a pulse duration of less than about 1000 fs and an output wavelength such that the chemically strengthened glass substrate (110) is substantially transparent to the pulsed laser beam (108). The pulsed laser beam (108) may be focused to form a beam waist (109) that is positioned in the same horizontal plane as an inner tensile region (124) of the chemically strengthened glass substrate (110). The beam waist (109) may be translated in a first pass along a cut line (116), wherein the beam waist (109) traverses an edge (111) of the chemically strengthened glass substrate. The beam waist (113) may then be translated in a second pass along the cut line (116) such that a crack (119) propagates from the edge (113) along the cut line (116) ahead of the translated beam waist (109) during the second pass.

The objective of the current invention is to restore color vision, in whole or in part, by electrically stimulating undamaged retinal cells, which remain in patients with, lost or degraded visual function. The invention is a retinal color prosthesis. Functionally, There are three main parts to this invention. One is external to the eye. The second part is internal to the eye. The third part is means for communication between those two parts. The external part has subsystems. These include an external imaging means, an eye-tracker, a head-motion tracker, a data processor, a patient's controller, a physician's local controller, a physician's remote controller, and a telemetry means. The imaging means may include a CCD or CMOS video camera. It gathers an image of what the eyes would be seeing if they were functional.Color information is acquired by the imaging means. The color data is processed in the video data processing unit. The color information is encoded by time sequences of pulses separated by varying amounts of time, and also with the pulse duration being varied in time. The basis for the color encoding is the individual color code reference. Direct color stimulation is another operational basis for providing color perception. The electrodes stimulate the target cells so as to create a color image for the patient, corresponding to the original image as seen by the video camera, or other imaging means.The physician's test unit can be used to set up or evaluate and test the implant during or soon after implantation at the patient's bedside.

A system and method for patient control of the stimulation parameters of a Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) system, or other neurostimulation system, provides an increased Therapeutic Ratio (TR). Measurements of the just-perceptible stimulation level and the maximum-comfortable stimulation level are made for at least two values of pulse duration and two values of pulse amplitude. A Therapeutic Ratio is determined for stimulation level control strategies based on fixed pulse duration and variable pulse amplitude, and alternatively for fixed pulse amplitude and variable pulse duration. The control strategy providing the greatest therapeutic ratio is then selected for use by the patient. In an alternative embodiment, the pulse durations at the just-perceptible and maximum-comfortable stimulation levels are measured, and the pulse amplitudes at the just-perceptible and maximum-comfortable stimulation levels are determined using a curve-fitting process. Similarly, the pulse amplitudes may first be measured and the pulse widths determined using a curve-fitting process.

An implantable restriction device can be configured to provide a restriction in a patient, for example as a function of the pressure of fluid. The implantable restriction device can include one or more sensors configured to sense a variety of parameters, such as pressure of the fluid within the implantable restriction device, pulse width, pulse amplitude, pulse count, pulse duration, or frequency, electrical characteristics, or other parameters. Data obtained by the one or more sensors (for example, the data representing pressure, pulse characteristics, and so on) may be communicated to a device located external to the patient, such as a data logger, using telemetry coils or other communicators. The data logger may store the data, and may communicate the data to a remote location via a network such as the Internet. A docking station may be provided to couple the data logger to a network and / or to recharge a cell in the data logger. The logged data may be analyzed and / or displayed using a variety of techniques to assess and / or track the condition of the restriction device or of the patient, to monitor patient physiology, or for other purposes.