A surgical instrument that includes a distal member configured to receive a pneumatically operated tool assembly therein. The instrument may also include an elongate shaft assembly that has a distal end portion that is coupled to the distal member and a proximal end portion. A drive member may be supported by the distal end portion of the elongate shaft assembly and may be configured to apply at least two actuation motions to the pneumatically operated tool assembly upon receipt of at least one pneumatic drive signal from a source of pneumatic power. The drive member may comprise a dual-acting cylinder, a single-acting cylinder, a bellows assembly, etc. The distal end portion of the elongate shaft member may articulate relative to the proximal end portion thereof and/or the distal end portion of the elongate shaft assembly may be detachable from the proximal end portion.

Pneumatically powered surgical cutting and fastening instrument with actuator at distal end

This invention is a diode laser irradiation system (10) for treating biological tissue of a subject without exposing the tissue to damaging thermal effects. The system includes a manipulable wand (14) for contact with the tissue, a diode laser (70) disposed in the wand for irradiating the tissue with coherent optical energy at a power output level of less than one thousand milliwatts, and laser setting controls (24, 26) for operating the diode laser to achieve a rate of absorption and conversion to heat in the irradiated tissue in a range between a minimum rate sufficient to elevate the average temperature of the irradiated tissue to a level above the basal body temperature of the subject, and a maximum rate which is less than the rate at which the irradiated tissue is converted into a collagenous substance.

Diode laser irradiation system for biological tissue stimulation

A wafer support member comprises a base made of ceramics with thickness of 3 mm or more, a metallic electrode plate with thickness of 0.5 mm or more bonded onto the base, and an attraction surface composed of an aluminum nitride film with thickness of 0.01 to 0.5 mm coated on the surface of the electrode plate. The electrode plate functions as a plasma generating electrode when high frequency voltage is applied to the electrode plate and as an electrostatic attraction electrode when direct-current high voltage is applied to the electrode plate. Also, a wafer holding device for holding a wafer such as semiconductor wafer and glass substrate for liquid crystal is disclosed. The wafer holding device comprises a base body of aluminum nitride sintered body containing resistance heating elements therein. Lead terminals for feeding power to the resistance heating elements are formed in the lower surface of the base body. In one feature, at least the lead terminals and junction thereof are coated with a ceramic film composed of any one of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, sialon, and aluminum nitride. In another feature, the base body has a flat surface for forming an attraction surface, an outer circumference and penetration holes. Each of the penetration holes opens in the flat surface, and has an inner wall. An aluminum nitride film covers the flat surface, the outer circumference, and the inner wall of each of the penetration holes.

Wafer support member

A composite structural member includes multiple layers with one or more embedded piezoelectric elements. In a conductive member, an insulating sheath electrically isolates each piezoelectric element while mechanically coupling it to the surrounding layers, forming a unitary structure with substantially homogeneous mechanical properties. In a graphite fiber composite structure, the piezoelectric elements are fitted in recesses in one or more interior layers, and located away from strain nodes of the structural members. Preferably pairs of elements are placed on opposite sides of a node and are driven in opposing phases to induce displacement of the structure. In a preferred prototype structure Kapton film insulates the piezoelectric elements, maintaining its integrity during a high temperature, high pressure curing process. An acrylic cement secures the insulator to the elements. Systems according to the invention include vibration damping systems, and aerodynamic lift surfaces or RF reflective surfaces with high authority control. A tubular truss member with axial control characteristics is described.

Embedded piezoelectric structure and control

A remotely controlled gastric band system that is practically immune to external magnetic fields, such as from a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, incorporates a bi-directional pump and fluid reservoir to adjust fluid volume for hydraulic control of a gastric band. A piezoelectric driver (e.g., rotary actuator, linear actuator) selectively compresses and expands a metal bellows hermetically sealed within a biocompatible and nonferromagnetic enclosure or case such as titanium. Directly sensing a position of the metal bellows yields an accurate reading of volume contained therein, allowing for closed-loop control of the gastric band.

Metal bellows position feedback for hydraulic control of an adjustable gastric band

A method and apparatus for pre-setting the position of a piezoelectric actuator used in controlling the path length of the laser beam of a ring laser gyroscope is disclosed. The path length controller of this invention minimizes the necessary rectilinear motion of the actuator by presetting the actuator position according to the environmental or start-up temperature of the ring laser gyroscope to anticipate changes in the laser path length resulting from changes in the environmental temperature and/or self heating effect when the gyroscope is in operation.

Pathlength controller for a ring laser gyroscope

A method for providing at room temperature a hermetic bonded seal between the surfaces of glass, ceramics, metals or any combination of these. The method comprises the steps of polishing the surfaces to be bonded and then plasma cleaning the surfaces. Next, a chemically cleaned bonding material such as indium is applied to the surfaces and a force is applied to the surfaces to be sealed at room temperature for a limited period of time to affect the bonded seal.

Hermetic bonded seal

A ring laser gyro path length controller has a cup-like fixture which mounts a piezoelectric actuator and is bonded directly to the gyro block. A mirror assembly is concentrically located within the fixture and is independently mounted to the gyro block thereby enabling independent assembly and disassembly of the fixture and the assembly. Diaphragm sections of the assembly are coaxially positioned and connected to a diaphragm section of the fixture so that bidirectional displacement of the assembly may occur and the moment generated by the actuator results in an axial deflection force on the assembly. A strip of material having a high coefficient of expansion is mounted to the piezoelectric actuator to augment the deflection force as temperature increases thereby reducing the power demands of the actuator.

Path length controller for ring laser gyroscope

A piezoelectric actuator for use in controlling the path length in a ring laser is made up of a plurality of piezoelectric discs which have a different polarity in their central area than at their circumference so as to result in exerting a pushpull effect on the mirror which they control permitting fewer discs to be used, a lighter structure and a structure which is stiffer and has a more rectilinear motion without deleterious rotation.

Piezoelectric actuator for a ring laser

A ring laser gyro is electromechanically oscillated so that oppositely moving light beams in the gyro do not exhibit an undesirable lock-in effect A piezoelectric transducer mounted in the gyro measures the dither Analog/digital circuitry converts the measurement to digital dither signals A non-compensated beam combiner and photodetector assembly are integrally mounted to the gyro for producing beam frequency outputs from the light beams, indicative of inertial rotation of the gyro The beat frequency outputs and dither signal are input to logic circuitry which eliminates the effect of the dither signal on the beam frequency output signals

Ljung Bo Hans Gunnar

Papers

Pathlength controller for a ring laser gyroscope

Hermetic bonded seal

Path length controller for ring laser gyroscope

Piezoelectric actuator for a ring laser

Ring laser gyro dither pulse eliminator