Fixing device includes a first cylindrical rotating member having an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface; a second rotating member which is brought into contact with the first rotating member; magnetic field generation units for generating a magnetic field, the magnetic field generation units being provided at a predetermined distance from the inner or outer peripheral surface of the first rotating member; and a heat generation member that generates heat by a magnetic field, the heat generation member being provided so as to be opposed to the magnetic field generation units across the first rotating member and to be in contact with the first rotating member, having a thickness larger than a skin depth, and containing a magnetic metal material.

Fixing device, and image forming apparatus

We provide a system for issuing identification documents to a plurality of individuals, comprising a first database, a first server, and a workstation. The first database stores a plurality of digitized images, each digitized image comprising a biometric image of an individual seeking an identification document. The first server is in operable communication with the first database and is programmed to send, at a predetermined time, one or more digitized images from the first database to a biometric recognition system, the biometric recognition system in operable communication with a second database, the second database containing biometric templates associated with individuals whose images have been previously captured, and to receive from the biometric recognition system, for each digitized image sent, an indicator, based on the biometric searching of the second database, as to whether the second database contains any images of individuals who may at least partially resemble the digitized image that was sent. The a workstation is in operable communication with the first server and is configured to permit a user to review the indicator and to make a determination as to whether the individual is authorized to be issued an identification document or to keep an identification document in the individual's possession.

Systems and methods for managing and detecting fraud in image databases used with identification documents

Compositions, systems and methods that allow for the detection of the actual physical delivery of a pharmaceutical agent to a body are provided. Embodiments of the compositions include an identifier and an active agent. The invention finds use in a variety of different applications, including but not limited to, monitoring of therapeutic regimen compliance, tracking the history of pharmaceutical agents, etc.

Pharma-informatics system

Thermal management is a key design aspect of power converters since it determines their reliability as well as their final performance and power density. Cooling technologies have been a research area in electronics since the 1940s and, in the last 15 years, the number of articles related to this field has grown significantly. At present, thermal management is essential in new disciplines and it is a critical enabling technology in the development of power electronic systems. This paper aims at presenting a review of the state-of-the-art technology and provides future design guidelines for high efficiency power electronic converters. The main design trends are focused on the need to develop cooling systems able to manage high local density heat fluxes due to two converging trends: higher power dissipation and smaller module size. Considering the latest advances in thermal management, as well as the huge improvement in power electronics in the last decades, a review and classification of the main thermal management techniques is presented. Besides, they are compared considering important parameters such as peak power dissipation, efficiency, cost/complexity, power density or technical maturity, and a design example for an ultrahigh efficiency converter is presented.

Heat Management in Power Converters: From State of the Art to Future Ultrahigh Efficiency Systems

Ingestible event marker systems that include an ingestible event marker (i.e., an IEM) and a personal signal receiver are provided. Embodiments of the IEM include an identifier, which may or may not be present in a physiologically acceptable carrier. The identifier is characterized by being activated upon contact with a target internal physiological site of a body, such as digestive tract internal target site. The personal signal receiver is configured to be associated with a physiological location, e.g., inside of or on the body, and to receive a signal the IEM. During use, the IEM broadcasts a signal which is received by the personal signal receiver.

Ingestible Event Marker Systems

In a thermal head provided with a resistance layer having a plurality of heating element portions which generate heat by energization, an insulating barrier layer which determines the two-dimensional size of each heating element portion by covering each heating element portion, and electrode layers electrically connected to two end portions of each of the plural heating element portions, in the length direction of the resistance, a heat transfer layer is disposed on at least the insulating barrier layer to determine the two-dimensional surface exposure area of the insulating barrier layer by covering part of the insulating barrier layer and to dissipate the heat generated from the plural heating element portions, and surface exposure regions of the insulating barrier layer are specified as effective heating regions of the plural heating element portions by adjusting the two-dimensional size of the heat transfer layer.

Thermal head, method for manufacturing the same, and method for adjusting dot aspect ratio of thermal head

When forming an image by superimposing heat-sublimation inks of yellow, magenta and cyan and a heat-sublimation ink of black on each other, an energy to be applied to the heat-generating elements in printing with the black ink is controlled such that the print paper is not deformed thermally. Carriage travel speed in printing with the black ink is made faster than that in printing with the inks of the three colors, thereby preventing the thermal deformation of the paper from occurring. A transparent heat-melt ink is printed over an image formed with the heat-sublimation inks of the three colors, thereby maintaining the resultant print in good quality.

Thermal transfer recording method and thermal transfer printer

In tribology, a contact condition between mating surfaces is very important to reduce friction and raise their lifetime. Direct observation of apparent contact area is necessary for a better understanding of the contact condition. We examined the distribution of real contact area between a platen rubber roller and a glass plate using a laser microscope with wide field of view. Based on these observations, the distribution of real contact area ratio, which is the ratio of real contact area to the apparent contact area at each point, was calculated. Micro-slips over the whole apparent contact area were measured with several torques applied to the platen roller. The relationship between real contact area ratio and micro-slips on the contact area are discussed.

Observation of Real Contact Area Using Laser Microscope with Wide Field of View

This study investigates a cooling performance of a miniature piezoelectric micro blower. The piezoelectric micro blower is a novel airflow generator which combines a compact size which can be usable in a narrow clearance between the components with the high performance which can generate high speed airflow (about 20 m/s) regardless of a high pressure drop in the narrow clearance. We are investigating whether the piezoelectric micro blower is available for a novel cooling method of high-density packaging electronic equipment or not. Because of the miniature structure of the piezoelectric micro blower, a supply flow rate of the blower becomes relatively small. However, because the piezoelectric micro blower can generate the high speed airflow, the higher cooling performance than other micro fans may be obtained. Therefore, an investigation of a net cooling performance of the jet from the piezoelectric micro blower should be clarified. In this report, we tried to evaluate the cooling performance of an impinging jet from the piezoelectric micro blower by using 3DCFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis. The piezoelectric micro blower was mounted in front of test heat sinks and generated the impinging jet. The cooling performance of the heat sink with the impinging jet from the piezoelectric micro blower was evaluated while changing dimensions of the heat sink. Through the investigation, information about the optimum dimensions and types of the heat sink for improving cooling performance of the piezoelectric micro blower was obtained.

Cooling performance of impinging jet from piezoelectric micro blower mounted in narrow flow passage

A heater for fixing devices includes a glass substrate, a heating element, electrode patterns connected to the heating element, a first protective layer, and a second protective layer. The glass substrate is made of an alkali-free glass. The first protective layer is formed by firing a mixture of a first glass powder and a first filler. The first glass powder contains no alkali metal oxide and has a lower softening point than the glass substrate. The first filler has a lower thermal expansion coefficient than the alkali-free glass for the glass substrate. The second protective layer is made of a material that does not contain the first filler contained in the first protective layer.

Hirotoshi Terao

Papers

Thermal head, method for manufacturing the same, and method for adjusting dot aspect ratio of thermal head

Thermal transfer recording method and thermal transfer printer

Observation of Real Contact Area Using Laser Microscope with Wide Field of View

Cooling performance of impinging jet from piezoelectric micro blower mounted in narrow flow passage

Heater for fixing device