624 results about "Sub threshold" patented technology

The present invention relates to high sensitivity chemical sensors, more particularly relates to high sensitivity chemical sensors which are capacitively coupled, FET based analyte sensors. A sub-threshold capacitively coupled Field Effect Transistor (CapFET) sensor for sensing an analyte comprises fixed dielectric placed on substrate of the CapFET and second dielectric sensitive to the analyte, placed between gate terminal of the CapFET and the fixed dielectric, wherein presence of the analyte alters either dielectric constant of the second dielectric or work function of the gate.

Methods of providing therapy to a patient are provided. In one method, the patient has a neuron to which a sub-threshold biological electrical stimulus is applied. The method comprises applying electrical noise energy to the neuron, wherein resonance between the biological electrical stimulus and the electrical noise energy is created, such that an action potential is propagated along the axon of the neuron. In another method, the patient has a neuron to which a supra-threshold biological electrical stimulus is applied. This method comprises applying supra-threshold electrical noise energy to the neuron, thereby preventing an action potential from being propagated along the axon of the neuron. Still another method comprises applying an electrical stimulus to a neuron, and applying supra-threshold electrical noise energy to the neuron, thereby preventing or reversing any neurological accommodation of the neuron that may occur in response to the electrical stimulus.

A method of using a sensor comprising a field effect transistor (FET) embedded in a nanopore includes placing the sensor in an electrolyte comprising at least one of biomolecules and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA); placing an electrode in the electrolyte; applying a gate voltage in the sub-threshold regime to the electrode; applying a drain voltage to a drain of the FET; applying a source voltage to a source of the FET; detecting a change in a drain current in the sensor in response to the at least one of biomolecules and DNA passing through the nanopore.

A neuromodulation system and method of providing sub-threshold modulation therapy. Electrical modulation energy is delivered to a target tissue site of the patient at a programmed intensity value, thereby providing therapy to a patient without perception of stimulation. In response to an event, electrical modulation energy is delivered at incrementally increasing intensity values. At least one evoked compound action potential (eCAP) is sensed in a population of neurons at the target tissue site of the patient in response to the delivery of the electrical modulation energy at the incrementally increasing intensity values. One of the incrementally increased intensity values is selected based on the sensed eCAP(s). A decreased intensity value is automatically computed as a function of the selected intensity value. Electrical modulation energy is delivered to the target tissue site of the patient at the computed intensity value, thereby providing sub-threshold therapy to the patient.

An apparatus and method for operating an array of NOR connected flash nonvolatile memory cells erases the array in increments of a page, block, sector, or the entire array while minimizing sub-threshold leakage current through unselected nonvolatile memory cells. The apparatus has a row decoder circuit and a source decoder circuit for selecting the nonvolatile memory cells for providing biasing conditions for reading, programming, verifying, and erasing the selected nonvolatile memory cells while minimizing sub-threshold leakage current through unselected nonvolatile memory cells.

An apparatus having a voice-estimation (VE) interface that probes the vocal tract of a user with sub-threshold acoustic waves to estimate the user's voice while the user speaks silently or audibly in a noisy or socially sensitive environment. In one embodiment, the VE interface is integrated into a cell phone that directs an estimated-voice signal over a network to a remote party to enable (i) the user to have a conversation with the remote party without disturbing other people, e.g., at a meeting, conference, movie, or performance, and (ii) the remote party to more-clearly hear the user whose voice would otherwise be overwhelmed by a relatively loud ambient noise due to the user being, e.g., in a nightclub, disco, or flying aircraft.

By improving profile of impurity concentration in a channel portion of an FET or an IGBT of a trench gate type, variation of threshold value is lessened, and a destruction caused by current concentration is prevented while suppressing deterioration of cut-off characteristics. An island of a base region of p-type is formed in a semiconductor substrate of n-type by carrying out high acceleration ion implantation twice followed by annealing, so that the impurity concentration profile in a channel portion changes gradually in a depth direction. Accordingly, it is possible to lessen variation of the threshold value and to reduce pinch resistance while at the same time improving sub-threshold voltage coefficient and conductance characteristics.

A silicon oxynitride film is manufactured using SiH₄, N₂O and H₂ by plasma CVD, and it is applied to the gate insulating film (1004 in FIG. 1A) of a TFT. The characteristics of the silicon oxynitride film are controlled chiefly by changing the flow rates of N₂O and H₂. A hydrogen concentration and a nitrogen concentration in the film can be increased by the increase of the flow rate of H₂. Besides, the hydrogen concentration and the nitrogen concentration in the film can be decreased to heighten an oxygen concentration by the increase of the flow rate of N₂O. The gate insulating film ensures the stability and reliability of the characteristics of the TFT, such as the threshold voltage (V_th) and sub-threshold constant (S value) thereof.

A method and neurostimulation system of providing therapy to a patient is provided. A plurality of electrodes are placed in contact with tissue of a patient, a conditioning pulse is conveyed from the plurality of electrodes in one of a monopolar manner and a multipolar manner, and a stimulation pulse is conveyed from the plurality of electrodes in a different one of the monopolar manner and the multipolar manner. As one example, the sub-threshold conditioning pulse may be a depolarizing pulse conveyed from the plurality of electrodes to render a first region of the tissue less excitable to stimulation, and the stimulation pulse may be conveyed from the plurality of electrodes to stimulate a second different region of the tissue.

Methods are described comprising: administering to a mammal with a paralysis an electrical enabling motor control stimulation to at a sub-threshold location, wherein the electrical enabling motor control stimulation provides spontaneous voluntary movement of at least one body part.

A neuromodulation system and method of providing therapy to a patient. Electrical energy is delivered to the patient in accordance with a modulation parameter, thereby providing therapy to the patient, and the modulation parameter of the delivered electrical energy is varied over a period of time, such that the delivered electrical energy is continually maintained at a sub-threshold level throughout the period of time. The sub-threshold level may be referred to as a patient-perception threshold, which may be referred to as a boundary below which a patient does not sense delivery of the electrical energy. For example, in a spinal cord modulation system, the patient-perception threshold may be a boundary below which a patient does not experience paresthesia.

After an element isolation region is formed using a field-forming silicon nitride film, the silicon nitride film and a semiconductor substrate are patterned. Thereafter, the silicon nitride film and the semiconductor substrate are patterned, thereby forming a gate trench reaching the semiconductor substrate in an active region. Next, after a gate electrode is formed within a gate trench, the silicon nitride film is removed, thereby forming a contact hole. A contact plug is buried into this contact hole. Accordingly, a diffusion layer contact pattern becomes unnecessary, and the active region can be reduced. Because a gate electrode is buried in the gate trench, a gate length is increased, and a sub-threshold current can be reduced.

A neuromodulation system configured for providing sub-threshold neuromodulation therapy to a patient. The neuromodulation system comprises a neuromodulation lead having at least one electrode configured for being implanted along a spinal cord of a patient, a plurality of electrical terminals configured for being respectively coupled to the at least one electrode, modulation output circuitry configured for delivering sub-threshold modulation energy to active ones of the at least one electrode, and control/processing circuitry configured for selecting a percentage from a plurality of percentages based on a known longitudinal location of the neuromodulation lead relative to the spinal cord, computing an amplitude value as a function of the selected percentage, and controlling the modulation output circuitry to deliver sub-threshold modulation energy to the patient at the computed amplitude value.

Coarse/fine programming of non-volatile memory is provided in which memory cells are programmed at a first rate of programming prior to reaching a coarse verify level for their intended state and a second rate of programming after reaching the coarse verify level but before reaching the final verify level for their intended state. Large sub-threshold swing factors associated with smaller memory cells can affect the accuracy of sense operations, particularly when sensing at a fine verify level after sensing at a coarse verify level without pre-charging the bit line between the different sensings. Different reference potentials are utilized when sensing at a coarse verify level and a final verify level. The different between the reference potentials can compensate for any discharge of the bit line during the coarse level sensing.

The invention involves monitoring on a continuous or non-continuous basis the electrical drain of a chronically implanted physiologic sensor. One of a pair of conductors is monitored for excessive current drain. For example, if an inner sensor-signal bearing conductor (of a co-axial pair) contacts conductive body fluid or tissue (e.g., due to insulation breach), a measurement of current quickly reveals the fault. Accordingly, if an increase in or a supra-threshold electrical current drain is detected the sensor power supply is disengaged. In one form, dedicated physiologic sensor to electrical circuitry disposed within the AIMD. In another form, the AIMD is adapted to sense a physiologic parameter and deliver therapy (e.g., via one or more electrodes). A manual or automatic reset can be implemented in the event that the failure mode resolves itself. The reset can include criteria such as three consecutive sub-threshold current measurements before normal operation resumes.

A T-RAM memory cell includes a temperature compensation device to adjust the gate-to-source voltage of an access transistor for the memory cell as a function of temperature so that the sub-threshold current of the transistor is insensitive to temperature variations. As a result, the sub-threshold current can be maintained slightly above the holding current of a thyristor used in the memory cell despite substantial temperature variations. In one embodiment, the temperature compensation device includes a current source directing a fixed current through a diode-connected transistor of the type used as the memory cell access transistor. Temperature induced changes in a reference voltage generated at the junction between the current source and the transistor therefore match the temperature induced changed in the sub-threshold current of the access transistor. As a result, the sub-threshold current of the access transistor can be made insensitive to temperature variations by applying the reference voltage to the gate or source of the access transistor.

Voltage generating apparatus includes a positive temperature coefficient current generating module, a negative temperature coefficient current generating module, a fine-tune current module and a voltage output module. The function of the positive temperature coefficient current generating module and the negative temperature coefficient current generating module, which take advantage of characteristics of MOS devices operated in the sub-threshold region, is to generate a stable current of positive temperature coefficient and a stable current of negative temperature coefficient, respectively. The current fine-tune module increases or decreases output current of the negative temperature coefficient current generating module. The voltage output module sums two output currents of the positive temperature coefficient current generating module and the negative temperature coefficient current generating module and transforms the total current into output voltage that is stable under temperature and process variation.

Coarse/fine programming of non-volatile memory is provided in which memory cells are programmed at a first rate of programming prior to reaching a coarse verify level for their intended state and a second rate of programming after reaching the coarse verify level but before reaching the final verify level for their intended state. Large sub-threshold swing factors associated with smaller memory cells can affect the accuracy of sense operations, particularly when sensing at a fine verify level after sensing at a coarse verify level without pre-charging the bit line between the different sensings. Different reference potentials are utilized when sensing at a coarse verify level and a final verify level. The different between the reference potentials can compensate for any discharge of the bit line during the coarse level sensing.

A Schmitt Trigger (ST) based, fully differential, 10-transistor (10T) SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) bitcell suitable for sub-threshold operation. The Schmitt trigger based bitcell achieves 1.56× higher read static noise margin (SNM) (V_DD=400 mV) compared to a conventional 6T cell. The robust Schmitt trigger based memory cell exhibits built-in process variation tolerance that gives tight SNM distribution across the process corners. It utilizes fully differential operation and hence does not require any architectural changes from the present 6T architecture. The 10T bitcell has two cross-coupled Schmitt trigger inverters which each consist of four transistors, including a PMOS transistor and two NMOS transistors in series, and an NMOS feedback transistor which is connected between the inverter output and the junction between the series-connected NMOS transistors. Each inverter has one associated NMOS access transistor.