KENT STATE UNIVERSITY Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20160132791 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DISTRIBUTED GRAPHICAL FLIGHT SEARCH - Methods and systems for real-time graphical search for airline flight itineraries that satisfy predetermined criteria (e.g., place and time) using a distributed graph processing system are disclosed. The advantages of the graphical method include: computational work is easily split across multiple processors for parallel processing; the resulting speed is appropriate for real-time personalized search; the method naturally supports multi-segment routes up to any user-specified maximum; the method easily handles constraints or freedoms on connections between flights, such as connection time or transferring to another airport in the same metropolis; and the method is efficient due to focusing only on viable flight segments. | 05-12-2016 |
20160085095 | POLYMER-DISPERSED BLUE-PHASE LIQUID CRYSTAL FILMS - A polymer-dispersed blue-phase (PDBP) liquid crystal film is formed from a polymer-based latex and blue-phase liquid crystals that are combined using an emulsification process or a polymerization-induced phase separation process. The resultant PDBP liquid crystal film includes droplets formed by the polymer-based latex that encapsulate the blue-phase liquid crystals therein, so as to allow the blue-phase liquid crystals to have a blue phase at room temperature. As such, the PDBP liquid crystal film is conducive for use in manufacturing processes, such as LCD (liquid crystal display) manufacturing processes, while providing desirable optical features, such as field-induced birefringence at low switching voltages. | 03-24-2016 |
20160033806 | FIELD INDUCED HELICONICAL STRUCTURE OF CHOLESTERIC LIQUID CRYSTAL - A diffraction grating comprises a liquid crystal (LC) cell configured to apply an electric field through a cholesteric LC material that induces the cholesteric LC material into a heliconical state with an oblique helicoid director. The applied electric field produces diffracted light from the cholesteric LC material within the visible, infrared or ultraviolet. The axis of the heliconical state is in the plane of the liquid crystal cell or perpendicular to the plane, depending on the application. A color tuning device operates with a similar heliconical state liquid crystal material but with the heliconical director axis oriented perpendicular to the plane of the cell. A power generator varies the strength of the applied electric field to adjust the wavelength of light reflected from the cholesteric liquid crystal material within the visible, infrared or ultraviolet. | 02-04-2016 |
20160018681 | BISTABLE LIQUID CRYSTAL LIGHT-MODULATING DEVICE - A bistable liquid crystal spatial light modulating (SLM) device (SLM) device utilizes the homeotropic and bubble domain texture change of a cholesteric liquid crystal that is responsive to external stimuli, such as electric voltage, light and pressure. The SLM device is configured to be switched between the two stable textures of the bubble domain texture or the fingerprint texture. In addition, the SLM device may be switched between transparent and light-scattering states by the application of an electric field, light irradiation or physical/mechanical pressure. The light transmission state and the light-scattering states of the present invention are also stable in time at zero voltage, and are reversible upon the application of an external field at a different voltage, frequency or wavelength of light. | 01-21-2016 |
20160018679 | NANOSECOND LIQUID CRYSTALLINE OPTICAL MODULATOR - An optical modulator includes a liquid crystal cell containing liquid crystal material having liquid crystal molecules oriented along a quiescent director direction in the unbiased state, and a voltage source configured to apply an electric field to the liquid crystal material wherein the direction of the applied electric field does not cause the quiescent director direction to change. An optical source is arranged to transmit light through or reflect light off the liquid crystal cell with the light passing through the liquid crystal material at an angle effective to undergo phase retardation in response to the voltage source applying the electric field. The liquid crystal material may have negative dielectric anisotropy, and the voltage source configured to apply an electric field to the liquid crystal material whose electric field vector is transverse to the quiescent director direction. Alternatively, the liquid crystal material may have positive dielectric anisotropy and the voltage source configured to apply an electric field to the liquid crystal material whose electric field vector is parallel with the quiescent director direction. | 01-21-2016 |
20150233816 | SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREOF FOR ACCURATE OPTICAL DETECTION OF AMPHIPHILES AT A LIQUID CRYSTAL INTERFACE - Systems and methods for detection of an amphiphile at a liquid crystal interface include the production of circular polarized light. A system | 08-20-2015 |
20150173679 | THERMOCHROMIC FABRICS UTILIZING CHOLESTERIC LIQUID CRYSTAL MATERIAL - A thermochromic fabric utilizing cholesteric liquid crystals includes a fabric material or garment formed therefrom. The liquid crystal material is patterned with a plurality of different liquid crystal formulations, whereby each formulation has high thermal sensitivity over a narrow temperature range. As a result, the aggregate pattern of liquid crystal material formed on the thermochromic fabric allows the thermochromic fabric to have high thermal sensitivity over a broad temperature range. As such, the fabric or garment may be worn on specific body parts of a patient, such as his or her feet, to assist in making a medical diagnosis. | 06-25-2015 |
20150158179 | ROBOTIC FUEL CELL ASSEMBLY SYSTEM - A robotic fuel cell assembly system includes an end-effector, robotic workcell, and fuel cell components that have integrated design features that allow accurate component alignment during the assembly process of a fuel cell stack within a desired tolerance, while avoiding component overlap, which is a major cause of overboard gas leaks during the fuel cell operation. Accurate component alignment is achieved by electrically non-conductive alignment pins that are mounted on a fuel cell base plate, which are configured to be received by guide holes formed on the fuel cell components, and alignment holes provided by an alignment arm attached to the end-effector. The end-effector also includes a passive compliance system that includes two perpendicularly mounted miniature linear blocks and rails, which serve to compensate for the limitations in the ability of the robotic arm to move the end-effector accurately in a repeated manner. | 06-11-2015 |
20150112986 | METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF SCALABLE REACHABILITY - Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for scaling reachability computations on relatively large graphs. In an embodiment, a method provides for scaling reachability computations on relatively large graphs, the method comprising, identifying an initial graph comprising a plurality of vertices and a plurality of edges, processing at least a portion of the plurality of vertices and at least a portion of the plurality of edges to generate a plurality of reachability indices for the at least a portion of the plurality of vertices, and generating a backbone graph comprising a scaled-down version of the initial graph, based at least in part on at least one of the plurality of reachability indices. | 04-23-2015 |
20150102704 | SUPER-PIEZOELECTRIC COMPOSITE FIBER MATS FOR POWER GENERATION AND SOFT ACTUATORS - A piezoelectric device includes a fiber mat comprising polymer fibers with ferroelectric particles embedded in the polymer fibers. The ferroelectric particles are oriented to generate a net polarization in the fiber mat. The ferroelectric particles may comprise barium titanate particles. The polymer fibers may comprise polylactic acid (PLA) fibers. The piezoelectric device may further include substrates sandwiching the fiber mat, and the fiber mat may be formed by electrospinning polymer fibers containing ferroelectric particles onto one of the substrates. The piezoelectric device may be a piezoelectric actuator configured to receive an input voltage applied across the fiber mat and to output a mechanical displacement in response to the voltage, or the piezoelectric device may be configured to output a voltage in response to a mechanical force applied to the fiber mat. | 04-16-2015 |
20140361270 | MICROLENS ARRAY ARCHITECTURES FOR ENHANCED LIGHT OUTCOUPLING FROM AN OLED ARRAY - Novel microlens array architectures for enhanced light outcoupling from light emission are provided. Organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) that include an outcoupling layer including these novel microlens array architectures and method for fabricating such OLEDs are provided. These devices may be used to provide OLEDs with optimized light extraction. | 12-11-2014 |
20140212798 | MASKLESS PROCESS FOR PRE-TILTING LIQUID CRYSTAL MOLECULES - A method of tilting liquid crystal molecules is presented. The method entails providing a substrate including a photoalignment layer on top of a layer of liquid crystal molecules. The photoalignment layer is exposed to patterned light that is incident on the substrate at a substantially normal angle. The patterned light is polarized in a polarization direction that is non-parallel to an incident surface of the substrate. | 07-31-2014 |
20140132904 | TUNABLE ELECTRO-OPTIC LIQUID CRYSTAL LENSES AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE LENSES - Electro-optic lenses, including liquid crystals, wherein the power of the lenses can be modified by application of an electric field. In one embodiment, the liquid crystal-based lenses include ring electrodes having a resistive bridge located between adjacent electrodes, and in a preferred embodiment, input connections for several electrode rings are spaced on the lens. In a further embodiment, liquid crystal-based lenses are provided that can increase optical power through the use of phase resets, wherein in one embodiment, a lens includes ring electrodes on surfaces of the substrates on opposite sides of the liquid crystal cell such that a fixed phase term can be added to each set of electrodes that allows for phase change across each group of electrodes to be the same and also be matched with respect to a previous group. | 05-15-2014 |
20140117284 | 2,2'-Binaphthalene Ester Chiral Dopants for Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Displays - A liquid crystal composition comprising a chiral dopant compound represented by the following structure (Structure 1): | 05-01-2014 |
20140054498 | 2,2'-Binaphthalene Ester Chiral Dopants for Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Displays - A liquid crystal composition comprising a chiral dopant compound represented by the following structure (Structure 1): | 02-27-2014 |
20140002781 | SURFACE-STABILIZED IPS LCD | 01-02-2014 |
20130302256 | NANOPARTICULATE MANGANESE MRI CONTRAST AGENTS - This invention discloses a synthetic procedure for preparing nanoparticulate materials of various metal cyanide compounds containing manganese(II) ions in the crystal lattice with the surfaces coated by a hydrophilic compound, and their use as MRI contrast agents with high sensitivity, long blood circulation half lives and low toxicity at low-field and high field MR scanners. | 11-14-2013 |
20130186925 | Method of Patterning Electrically-Conductive Film on Flexible Substrates - A method of patterning an electrically-conductive film is performed by providing a flexible substrate that carries the electrically-conductive film thereon to form a combined layer. The combined layer is then bent about a radius of curvature, so as to impart a stress on the brittle conductive film along the axis of curvature of the curved surface. The application of the stress to the conductive film results in the formation of crack lines that are substantially perpendicular to the direction to which the substrate and conductive film are bent. The crack lines serve to define and electrically isolate conductive sections therebetween that can be utilized as electrodes and address lines in electronic devices. | 07-25-2013 |
20130093969 | SMART PHOTOCHROMIC CHIRAL NEMATIC LIQUID CRYSTAL WINDOW - A multi-functional photochromic chiral nematic liquid crystal window comprises at least a photochromic chiral nematic liquid crystal layer. The windows are able to not only to darken in color upon exposure to sunlight irradiation but also control the light and the heat passing through them, which can be used as the windows of buildings, vehicles, and the like. | 04-18-2013 |
20130027639 | FAST-SWITCHING SURFACE-STABILIZED LIQUID CRYSTAL CELLS - A surface polymer-assisted vertically aligned (SPA-VA) liquid crystal (LC) cell has a surface alignment layer of surface localized polymer nano spikes capable of controlling the pretilt angle of liquid crystal molecules and ensuring fast switching characteristics. The deposition of the polymer nanospikes as a part of the alignment layer is achieved by polymerizing a small amount of a reactive monomer in vertically aligned liquid crystal with or without an applied voltage. Due to the alignment of liquid crystal molecules by the surface alignment layers, the polymerized polymer acts as an internal surface to modify and control the field-induced reorientation of the liquid crystal molecules. The SPA-VA LC cell realizes a stable alignment and the considerable advantage of the formation of polymer spikes via UV irradiation on both substrates of the cell. Furthermore, the switch-off of a SPA-VA is fast due to the enhanced surface anchoring strength by the surface-localized polymer nano spikes. | 01-31-2013 |
20130005049 | DEVICES AND METHODS FOR DETECTING SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISMS - A device for detecting Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) and associated methods has been described. The stochastic behavior of a single-molecule probe is utilized to recognize wild type and SNP sequences in a microfluidic platform using a laser-tweezers instrument. The mechanical signal provides substantially noise free sensing with high sensitivity and the selectivity. The method has an inherent capacity to develop as a generic biosensor using other recognition elements such as aptamer for example. | 01-03-2013 |
20120273725 | Tetraoxybiphenyl Ester Chiral Dopants for Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Displays - A liquid crystal composition comprising a chiral dopant compound represented by the following formula: | 11-01-2012 |
20120262662 | BLUE PHASE LIQUID CRYSTAL NANOCOMPOSITES AND DEVICES CONTAINING THE SAME - A composition including nanocomposites formed from blue phase liquid crystals that are stabilized with dopants and nanorods such as metallic nanorods and/or carbon nanotubes. Devices including the compositions are disclosed that provide increases temperature ranges as well as reduction, in threshold voltage and turn on voltage, in addition to the inherent blue phase liquid crystal properties of sub-millisecond response time in the field induced Kerr effect. | 10-18-2012 |
20120194498 | BI-STABLE ACTIVE MATRIX DISPLAY APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DRIVING DISPLAY PANEL THEREOF - A bi-stable active matrix (AM) display apparatus and a method for driving a display panel thereof are provided. The bi-stable AM display apparatus includes a bi-stable AM display panel, a scan driver, a data driver and a controller. A frame period is divided into a resetting phase and a determining phase. The controller resets pixels on a plurality of scan lines of the bi-stable AM display panel to a homotropic state in the resetting phase through the scan driver and the data driver. The controller writes frame information into the pixels on the scan lines in the determining phase through the scan driver and the data driver. | 08-02-2012 |
20120190098 | FLUOROGENIC COMPOUNDS CONVERTED TO FLUOROPHORES BY PHOTOCHEMICAL OR CHEMICAL MEANS AND THEIR USE IN BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS - Fluorophores derived from photoactivatable azide-pi-acceptor fluorogens or from a thermal reaction of an azide-pi-acceptor fluorogen with an alkene or alkyne are disclosed. Fluorophores derived from a thermal reaction of an alkyne-pi-acceptor fluorogen with an azide are also disclosed. The fluorophores can readily be activated by light and can be used to label a biomolecule and imaged on a single-molecule level in living cells. | 07-26-2012 |
20110309305 | Flexible aqueous soluble conductive polymer compositions - A conductive, durable, peelable and flexible polymeric composition such as a coating can be utilized as an electrode sheet or substrate for organic and polymer light emitting diodes, for organic transistors, medical electrodes, and the like. The conductive polymeric composition is a blend of a conductive polymer blend and a peelable polymer blend wherein the conductive polymer comprises a negative-charged accepting polymer and a positive-charged accepting polymer and wherein the peelable polymer blend comprises a water soluble polymer, a polyalkylene oxide, and an alkyl glycol. | 12-22-2011 |
20110170039 | Photo-patterned pre-tilt liquid crystal cells, lenses and methods - Liquid crystal cells and lenses having a variable resulting pre-tilt across two or more areas of the cell, and in particular, cells and lenses are provided wherein a resulting pre-tilt is varied across the cell according to any desired birefringence profile that can be utilized in liquid crystalline optical elements and liquid crystal displays. Methods of fabrication of the liquid crystal cells with variable resulting pre-tilt are disclosed. | 07-14-2011 |
20110160301 | ASCORBATE, VITAMIN K3 AND HYDROXYTOLANS IN THE TREATMENT OF CANCER - The combination of compounds of the hydroxytolan family with ascorbate plus naphthoquinone (Vitamin K3; VK3), or a quinone or semiquinone analogue of VK3, kill tumor cells, inhibit tumor growth and development, and treat cancer in subjects in need thereof. | 06-30-2011 |
20110130468 | HYDROXYLATED TOLANS AND RELATED COMPOUNDS IN THE TREATMENT OF A CANCER - Compounds of the hydroxytolan family kill tumor cells, inhibit tumor growth and development, and are thus useful in method for treating a tumor or cancer in subjects in need thereof. These compounds are also active in preventing or treating a variety of skin diseases and conditions. The most preferred hydroxytolan compounds are 4,4′-dihydroxytolan. (KST-201), 4 hydroxy 4′ trifluoromethyltolan or 4′ hydroxy 4 trifluoromethyltolan (KST-213), 3,4′,5-trihydroxytolan or 3′,4,5′-trihydroxytolan (KST-301) and 3,3′,5,5′-tetrahydroxytolan (KST-401). The compounds and methods of using them alone and in combination with ascorbate and certain cyclic compounds to inhibit the development, growth or metastasis of tumor/cancer or preneoplastic cells, or to prevent or treat skin disorders in a subject are disclosed. | 06-02-2011 |
20110089382 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MONITORING AND CONTROLLING SURFACTANT CONCENTRATION IN LIQUID CRYSTAL COLLOIDAL DISPERSIONS - There are provided methods and systems for precisely controlling the surfactant concentration and character of ferroelectric nanoparticles in a ferroelectric liquid crystal dispersion. In an aspect, the invention provides an efficient FTIR technique to characterize the status and measure the distribution of the surfactant in ferroelectric particle dispersion. This allows for establishing a reproducible fabrication process for ferroelectric nanoparticle liquid crystal dispersions. The methods also maintain the nanoparticles ferroelectricity, which is provided by the addition of surfactant during a comminution process. The invention therefore optimizes both the milling time (to achieve small particle size and narrow size distribution) and surfactant concentration (to maintain the ferroelectricity during milling). | 04-21-2011 |
20110085229 | Methods and Apparatus for Controlling Dispersions of Nanoparticles - Electrically reconfigurable metamaterial with spatially varied refractive index is proposed for applications such as optical cloaks and lenses. The apparatus and method comprises a metamaterial in which the refractive indices are modified in space and time by applying one or more electric fields. The metamaterials are electrically controllable and reconfigurable, and consist of metal (gold, silver, etc.) particles of different shapes, such as rods, with dimension much smaller than the wavelength of light, dispersed in a dielectric medium, for example, fluids such as water, toluene, oil, glycerine, thermotropic liquid crystal, lyotropic liquid crystal, polymer, elastomer, and other suitable materials placed in a non-uniform electric field. The metamaterial is controlled by applying a non-uniform electric field that causes two effects: (1) It aligns the metallic anisometric particles with respect to the direction of the applied electric field and (2) It redistributes particles in space, making their local concentration position dependent. Both effects modify the local value of the dielectric permittivity of the composite meta-material, thus modifying its effective optical refractive index (or indices, as the material is often birefringent). | 04-14-2011 |
20110068493 | Stimuli responsive liquid crystal-polymer composite fibers - A process for making a stimuli responsive liquid crystal-polymer composite fiber comprising mixing a liquid crystal, a polymer, and a solvent; processing the mixture in the presence of an electric potential across a collection distance; phase separating a polymer and said liquid crystal; and encapsulating said liquid crystal within said polymer. The fiber generally comprises a liquid crystal core and a polymer shell wherein the liquid crystal is responsive to chemical changes, thermal and mechanical effects, as well as electrical and magnetic fields. A liquid crystal containing fiber can be utilized as optical fibers, in textiles, and in optoelectronic devices. | 03-24-2011 |
20110063564 | LIQUID CRYSTAL COMPOSITE, CELL, DEVICE, AND METHOD THEREOF - The invention provides a liquid crystal (LC) composite, a LC cell, a LC device, and a method thereof. The LC composite comprises (i) a liquid crystal material, and (ii) a copolymer polymerized from LC monomers and non-LC-monomers; and the LC composite is mechanically stressed/sheared. The invention exhibits numerous merits such as high transmittance in visible and IR range, hysteresis free, and a simple fabrication process; and may be utilized in LC device applications such as adaptive optics e.g. beam steering devices and fast tip-tilt wavefront correctors; and general optical applications such as eye wears, compact cameras and compact telescopes. | 03-17-2011 |
20110025955 | Tunable electro-optic liquid crystal lenses and methods for forming the lenses - Electro-optic lenses, including liquid crystals, wherein the power of the lenses can be modified by application of an electric field. In one embodiment, the liquid crystal-based lenses include ring electrodes having a resistive bridge located between adjacent electrodes, and in a preferred embodiment, input connections for several electrode rings are spaced on the lens. In a further embodiment, liquid crystal-based lenses are provided that can increase optical power through the use of phase resets, wherein in one embodiment, a lens includes ring electrodes on surfaces of the substrates on opposite sides of the liquid crystal cell such that a fixed phase term can be added to each set of electrodes that allows for phase change across each group of electrodes to be the same and also be matched with respect to a previous group. | 02-03-2011 |
20110017949 | Methods and apparatus to produce aligned film of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals - The present invention comprises a device and method for ordering molecules of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals to aligned structure of a dried film. An example of an aligned film may be transparent to visible light but not transparent to polarized light in the ultraviolet and/or infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. A shearing device having a shearing tool and a repelling pad may repel the solvent and provide a shear force to shear the LCLC dissolved in the solvent as a film on the surface of a substrate. A method of making an aligned lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal-based film comprises providing a mixture of a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal material in a solvent for the liquid crystal material, applying the mixture to a substrate, shearing the lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal with a shearing device and removing the solvent to produce an aligned lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal-based film. | 01-27-2011 |
20100318652 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR REAL-TIME MULTIMEDIA NETWORK TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT & CONTROL IN WIRELESS NETWORKS - The invention is directed to network management systems and methods that provide substantially real-time network management and control capabilities of multimedia streaming traffic in telecommunications networks. The invention provides pre-emptive and autonomous network management and control capabilities, and may include shared intelligence of embedded systems—Heterogeneous Sensor Entities (HSE) and the Sensor Service Management (SSM) system. HSEs are distributed real-time embedded systems provisioned in various network elements. HSEs performs fault, configuration, accounting, performance and security network management functions in real-time; and real-time network management control activations and removals. SSM facilitates automated decision making, rapid deployment of HSEs and real-time provisioning of network management and control services. The service communication framework amongst various HSEs and the SSM is provided by the Heterogeneous Service Creation system. The proposed network management procedure provides real-time network management and control capabilities of multimedia traffic in wireless networks and clusters of independent networks respectively. | 12-16-2010 |
20100315568 | Liquid crystal devices and methods providing fast switching mode - A liquid crystal device includes carbon nanotube-doped liquid crystal materials that have a fast switching mode. The liquid crystals may be nematic liquid crystals contained in an optically controlled birefringence cell, with a small amount of nanotubes relative to the liquid crystals. The cell may operate between an optical bend state and homeotropic state, where the liquid crystals aligning in a bend state in response to low voltage and transform to a homeotropic state in response to high voltage. The cell may capable of a large change in effective birefringence, or variable effective birefringence enabling self-compensated optical retardation. The liquid crystals may be included with an electro-optical film, which may be formed with polymer encapsulated liquid crystals with the inclusion of at least a small amount of nanotubes sufficient to induce homogeneous liquid crystal dispersion. The electro-optical film may be fabricated by lamination or otherwise onto a substrate. | 12-16-2010 |
20100254912 | Gadolinium containing prussian blue nanoparticles as nontoxic MRI contrast agents having high relaxivity | 10-07-2010 |
20100225868 | TRANSPARENT CONDUCTING ELECTRODES AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING - The invention relates to flexible liquid crystal devices and methods, and the electrically conducting backplane of a liquid crystal display for example. A substrate is provided that supports components of a liquid crystal display including a liquid crystal layer that is electrically addressed to produce images. The substrate can be flexible or drapable. An electrode arrangement is formed on the substrate, which includes a plurality of small islands or zones of highly conductive material. The highly conductive islands or zones may be dimensioned to be smaller than the dimensions of the electrode pattern, and are electrically isolated from one another. The plurality of islands or zones are then connected in a predetermined pattern by a conducting polymer layer having a predetermined configuration to provide the desired electrode pattern. | 09-09-2010 |
20100215587 | MATERIALS AND METHODS FOR MRI CONTRAST AGENTS AND DRUG DELIVERY - A material useful as a MRI contrast agent used for medical imaging, drug delivery platform or other functions are provided as a class of non-gadolinium and non-iron oxide based materials that comprise Prussian blue materials or analogue materials. The materials may be used as T | 08-26-2010 |
20100207493 | ELECTRO-MECHANICAL ENERGY CONVERSION DEVICES AND SYSTEMS - There are provided methods for creating energy conversion devices based on the giant flexoelectric effect in non-calamitic liquid crystals. By preparing a substance comprising at least one type of non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules and stabilizing the substance to form a mechanically flexible material, flexible conductive electrodes may be applied to the material to create an electro-mechanical energy conversion device which relies on the giant flexoelectric effect to produce electrical and/or mechanical energy that is usable in such applications as, for example, power sources, energy dissipation, sensors/transducers, and actuators. | 08-19-2010 |
20100182026 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINING FLEXOELECTRIC EFFECT IN A LIQUID CRYSTAL - There are provided methods for creating energy conversion devices based on the giant flexoelectric effect in non-calamitic liquid crystals. By preparing a substance comprising at least one type of non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules and stabilizing the substance to form a mechanically flexible material, flexible conductive electrodes may be applied to the material to create an electro-mechanical energy conversion device which relies on the giant flexoelectric effect to produce electrical and/or mechanical energy that is usable in such applications as, for example, power sources, energy dissipation, sensors/transducers, and actuators. | 07-22-2010 |
20100115764 | STRESSED LIQUID CRYSTALS MATERIALS FOR LIGHT MODULATION - A new light modulating material using interconnected unidirectionally oriented microdomains of a liquid crystal, dispersed in a stressed polymer structure, is provided. The light modulating material is prepared by dissolving the liquid crystal in an uncured monomer and then curing the monomer so that the polymer forms a well-developed interpenetrating structure of polymer chains or sheets that is uniformly dispersed through the film. When the film is subjected to stress deformation the liquid crystal undergoes a change in its unidirectional orientation. The concentration of the polymer is high enough to hold the shear stress, but is as low as possible to provide the highest switch of the phase retardation when an electric field is applied. The new materials are optically transparent and provide phase modulation of the incident light opposed to the low driving voltage, linear electro-optical response, and absence of hysteresis. It has been shown that these new materials may be successfully used in display applications, optical modulator, and beam steering devices. | 05-13-2010 |
20100099076 | SENSITIVE AND RAPID DETECTION OF VIRAL PARTICLES IN EARLY VIRAL INFECTION BY LASER TWEEZERS - The present system and methods allow for low level detection of as little as single pathogen particles, such as viral or bacterial particles, during the early stage of infection. An optical trapping system, such as laser tweezers, are used to trap a substrate to which an analyte has been bound to detect and record the thermal motion of an antibody-antigen interaction that may occur between an anti-viral antibody-coated microsphere and a viral particle for example. The system may be equipped with a detection system such as a position sensitive photodetector (PSD) to record the thermal motion of a trapped microsphere and particle at a certain frequency. The thermal motion data may be Fourier transformed into a power spectrum, which may be transformed into an output value using a Lorentzian equation. The power spectrum of the trapped microsphere may be recorded before and after binding of the pathogenic particle to determine the presence thereof. | 04-22-2010 |
20100051194 | POLYMER ENHANCED CHOLESTERIC ELECTRO-OPTICAL DEVICES - The present invention provides liquid crystal devices comprised of a composite of an internal polymer network localized on the substrate surfaces and short-pitch dual-frequency switchable cholesteric liquid crystal that operate in two different modes including in-plane switching (amplitude modulation) and out-of-plane switching (phase modulation). The invention further provides a method of making a liquid crystal device demonstrating uniform lying helical axis where the device comprises a composite of an internal spatially ordered polymer network localized by in-situ photo-polymerization at the surface of the substrate. The invention can be used for flat panel displays, as well as spatial light modulators for applications such as optical waveguides, optical beam scanners, computer-generated holograms, and adaptive optics. | 03-04-2010 |
20100029952 | Fluorogenic compounds converted to fluorophores by photochemical or chemical means and their use in biological systems - Fluorophores derived from photoactivatable azide-pi-acceptor fluorogens or from a thermal reaction of an azide-pi-acceptor fluorogen with an alkene or alkyne are disclosed. Fluorophores derived from a thermal reaction of an alkyne-pi-acceptor fluorogen with an azide are also disclosed. The fluorophores can readily be activated by light and can be used to label a biomolecule and imaged on a single-molecule level in living cells. | 02-04-2010 |
20100002177 | LIQUID CRYSTAL ALIGNMENT USING INKJET PRINTED POLYMERS - A method of preparing liquid crystal alignment films using an inkjet printer to control liquid crystal alignment is disclosed. The alignment ink is formulated from a single alignment material or combination of alignment materials to realize desired pretilt angle. The alignment films can be applied with designed patterns of alignment films of different pretilt angle on at least one substrate to achieve pattern-aligned liquid crystal devices. | 01-07-2010 |
20090290078 | BISTABLE SWITCHABLE LIQUID CRYSTAL WINDOW - A bistable switchable liquid crystal device is provided in which the device can be switched between a transparent and an opaque state by a predetermined voltage pulse. The device is based on polymer stabilized cholesteric materials. No additional amount of voltage has to be applied to the device in order to sustain the optical states. Therefore, the device is energy-saving. | 11-26-2009 |
20090255327 | Broad-range nanoliter rheometer - A nanoliter rheometer is capable of operating over a wide range of temperatures and permits visual observation of extremely small amounts of various often complex and/or expensive small nanoliter size fluids over a wide viscoelastic regime. The nanoliter rheometer comprises two very thin fibers, the ends of which are in close proximity to one another and desirably parallel to one another with one fiber being moved by a drive system and the remaining fiber desirably being stationary and capable of measuring a force transferred through a nanoliter size fluid located between the two fibers ends. The transferred force can be measured either by an LCR meter or a piezoelectric crystal and recorded as by a lock-in amplifier. | 10-15-2009 |
20090170195 | CURCUMIN-HYALURONAN COMPOUNDS - A dissociable complex is disclosed. The dissociable complex includes at least one molecule of curcumin, at least one molecule of hyaluronic acid, and at least one linker molecule, wherein a first portion of the linker molecule is bonded to the curcumin and a second portion of the linker molecule is bonded to the hyaluronic acid. | 07-02-2009 |
20090040453 | Method of plasma beam bombardment of aligning films for liquid crystals - Methods for treating aligning substrates produces uniform alignment of liquid crystals in at least two modes. The method is based on the treatment of liquid crystal aligning substrates with a collimated or partially collimated plasma beam. In one embodiment, the method comprises a step of bombarding an aligning substrate with at least one plasma beam from a plasma beam source at a designated incident angle to align the atomic/molecular structure or the surface profile of the aligning substrate in at least one aligned direction. | 02-12-2009 |
20090027676 | MEASUREMENT OF THE ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT OF LIGHT ABSORBING LIQUIDS AND THEIR USE FOR QUANTITATIVE IMAGING OF SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY - An optical measurement system for obtaining information such as the absorption coefficient of a light-absorbing liquid, or a surface profile of an object immersed in a light-absorbing liquid having a known absorption coefficient. The system includes a light source that transmits light through the liquid, a detector that records an image of the light transmitted through the sample and a processor or other means adapted to analyze the intensity distribution found on the image to generate information about the sample. | 01-29-2009 |
20080303376 | DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ENERGY CONVERSION BASEDON THE GIANT FLEXOELECTRIC EFFECT IN NON-CALAMITIC LIQUID CRYSTALS - Devices and methods for energy conversion based on the giant flexoelectric effect in non-calamitic liquid crystals. By preparing a substance comprising at least one type of non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules and stabilizing the substance to form a mechanically flexible material, flexible conductive electrodes may be applied to the material to create an electro-mechanical energy conversion device which relies on the giant flexoelectric effect to produce electrical and/or mechanical energy that is usable in such applications as, for example, power sources, energy dissipation, sensors/transducers, and actuators. The ability to directly and accurately measure the giant flexoelectric effect for different types of non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules is important for identifying molecules that may be effective for particular applications. | 12-11-2008 |