TNO (Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek) Patente

The present document relates to a method of manufacturing a food product using a marbling device (2), the marbling device and an arrangement comprising the marbling device, wherein the marbling device comprises an inlet (3) at an inlet section (4), an outlet (5) at an outlet section (6), and a conduit (7) running between the inlet and the outlet. The method comprises: providing a food substance (8) to the inlet; forcing the food substance through the conduit such as to provide a stream of the food product at an outlet of the conduit. During the forcing of the protein substance through the conduit, the method comprises feeding a fat-like substance into one or more further inlets (11) of the conduit for being combined with the food substance for yielding a marbling in the stream of the food product. For feeding the fat-like substance, the method comprises controlling a flow rate of the fat-like substance in the one or more further inlets, such that the marbling in the stream of the food product varies along a direction of the stream.

The present document relates to a protein structuring module for use in a food product manufacturing arrangement. The protein structuring module comprises one or more conduits between an inlet section and an outlet section, each conduit having an inlet at the inlet section for receiving a protein constituent and an outlet at the outlet section for providing a structured food substance including a structured protein material. The one or more conduits are configured for establishing a shear stress in the protein constituent for unfolding and/or aligning molecules in the protein constituent, such as to form the structured food substance. Furthermore, the protein structuring module comprises a chamber between the inlet section and the outlet section, and the protein structuring module further comprises one or more inserts configured for being inserted in the chamber for forming an insert bundle in the chamber of the protein structuring module. The one or more conduits are formed by gaps between the inserts. The document further relates to a food product manufacturing arrangement, a protein heating module, and a method of manufacturing the protein structuring module.

The invention relates to an acoustic sensing system, comprising a sensing fiber [2] located in an environment [3], an interrogator module [4] connected to the sensing fiber for interrogating the sensing fiber using an incident light [I], and a detection module [5',5''] connected to the sensing fiber for detecting light reflected by the sensing fiber illuminated by the incident light. The system further comprises a high power optical pulse light source [7] connected to the sensing fiber for injecting a high power optical pulse therein. The sensing fiber is provided with an absorber structure [8] comprising material converting optical power from the high power optical pulse into a thermal expansion of the absorber structure resulting in a guided or interface acoustic wave [G] propagating along the sensing fiber towards the detection module. Further, the detection module is arranged for detecting light reflected by the sensing fiber affected by the guided or interface acoustic wave as a response to the high power optical pulse

A method and system for analyzing a sample (S). Input light (Li) is directed onto the sample (S). The input light (Li) includes at least one modulated input component (Ci). Output light (Lo) resulting from interaction (X) of the input light (Li) with the sample (S) is measured. The measured output light (Lo) includes at least one modulated output component (Co) that varies as a function of time (t) depending on the interaction (X). Based on the measured output light (Lo) an output modulation phase (Φ₀) and/or amplitude (Ao) of the at least one modulated output component (Co) is determined. Based at least in part on at least one of the output modulation phase (Φ₀) and the output modulation amplitude (Ao), at least one property (Sp) of the sample (S) associated with the interaction (X) is determined.

A method for processing an arrangement (1) comprising a substrate (2) having mounted thereon one or more functional elements (3a, 3b, 3c) is provided herein. The method comprises: arranging (S1) a screen (4) comprising a screen mesh (41) provided with a mask (42) fixed to the screen mesh and that defines a pattern of openings (43) through the screen, the mask (42) including mask pattern elements (44,45) that extend with a mutually different distance towards the arrangement (1); supplying (S2) a solidifiable visco-plastic material (5) from a side (46S) of the screen (4) facing away from the arrangement (1) through the openings (43) in the mask (4); removing (S3) the screen (4); solidification processing (S4) the solidifiable visco-plastic material (5).

An optical system (1000) and method for bidirectional free-space optical, FSO, communication with a point-ahead angle (PAA) between a received, Rx, FSO beam and a transmitted, Tx, FSO beam. A coupler assembly (10) is configured to couple a set of optical signals (St,Sr) corresponding to the FSO beams into and out of respective waveguides (15) of a photonic integrated circuit, PIC, (100). The PIC (100) comprises a photonic processor (20) configured to apply a set of optical transformations on at least some of the set of optical signals (St,Sr). In particular, the photonic processor (20) is controllable to adjust the point-ahead angle (PAA) between the Tx and Rx FSO beams by adapting one or more of the set of optical transformations.

A hydrogen internal combustion engine (100) comprises one or more combustion units (10). Each combustion unit (10) includes a combustion chamber (11) configured to receive a mixture of hydrogen (H2) and oxygen containing gas (O2). An intake channel (12c) with an intake mechanism (12v) allows the oxygen containing gas to enter the combustion chamber (11). A compression mechanism (13) compresses the chamber volume, after which a fuel injector (14) injects hydrogen under pressure into the compressed volume. Combustion (CB) of the compressed hydrogen-oxygen mixture causes the chamber volume to expand, driving the compression mechanism (13). An exhaust channel (15c) with an exhaust mechanism (15v) allows discharge of the resulting combustion product (H2O). A catalytic ignition assembly (18) with catalytic material (C) promotes ignition (IG) of the compressed hydrogen-oxygen mixture to initiate combustion. This configuration may enable autoignition of hydrogen without requiring conventional ignition systems like spark plugs or pilot fuel.

The invention is aimed at providing a bioactive formulation suitable for printing, preferably 3D printing, the formulation comprises: a first and a second excipient and a bioactive substance that is easily interchangeable with either the first or second excipient. While heating and mixing the formulation a slurry comprising a matrix and a particulate matter is formed such that the formulation may have the required flowability during printing and the dimensional stability to create a final product.

An ultrasound probe (100) for measuring internal structures (I) under a skin surface (A). The ultrasound probe (100) comprises an acoustic interface (10a), an ultrasound transducer (10), an adhesive layer (11), and a temporary liner (12). The adhesive layer (11) is configured to adhere the ultrasound transducer (10) to the skin surface (A) for measuring the internal structures (I) under the skin surface (A) from a fixated position (Af) on the skin surface (A). The temporary liner (12) is removed from the adhesive layer (11) to expose the adhesive layer (11) for said adhering of the ultrasound transducer (10) to the skin surface (A). The temporary liner (12) is formed of an acoustically transmissive material enabling the ultrasound transducer (10) to measure the internal structures (I) under the skin surface (A) from a variable position (Av) while the temporary liner (12) is covering the adhesive layer (11).

A quantum dot device comprising a semiconductor region (102); a first gate dielectric layer (104) of low dielectric constant dielectric material, preferably silicon dioxide, adjacent to the semiconductor region (102); a second gate dielectric layer (106) of high dielectric constant dielectric material, preferably aluminium oxide, adjacent to the first layer of low dielectric constant dielectric material (104); and a third gate dielectric layer (108) of low dielectric constant dielectric material, preferably silicon dioxide, adjacent to the second gate dielectric layer (106); wherein a thickness of the second layer (106) is less than 80% of a combined thickness of the first layer (104), the second layer (106) and the third layer (108), and more preferably less than 50%, and the thickness of the first layer (104) is less than the thickness of the third layer (108). A gate disposed on the gate dielectric layers is configured to induce quantum dots in the semiconductor layer (102). The dielectric layer structure compensates for the unwanted fixed charges present at the interface between the semiconductor (102) and the first dielectric layer (104). The second dielectric layer may be a nanolaminate.

A Bell state measurement device comprising first and second optical input fiber to respectively pass first and second photon comprising a first component and a second component, and a third component and a fourth component, an optical beam splitter configured to receive first and second photon respectively from first and second optical input fiber and to combine first and second photon into third and fourth photon; first and second optical output fiber to receive third and fourth photon, the second optical output fiber comprises a delay line; and a single-photon detector configured to receive third and fourth photon from first optical output fiber, or delayed third photon and delayed fourth photon from second optical output fiber, or third photon from first optical output fiber and delayed fourth photon from second optical output fiber, or fourth photon from first optical output fiber and delayed third photon from second optical output fiber.

A photovoltaic module comprising n back contact bifacial cells and a conductive back panel, wherein the conductive back panel comprises a semi-transparent or transparent substrate, wherein a conductive material is on the surface of the semi-transparent or transparent substrate forming an interconnection pattern and wherein the n back contact bifacial cells are placed onto the semi-transparent or transparent substrate such that electrical contacts located on a back side of each back contact bifacial cell are in electrical contact with the interconnection pattern through the conductive material.

A method and an apparatus are described for interacting with a virtual object in a scene of an extended reality application, the method comprising: rendering a first scene of virtual objects based on a scene description, a first bounding space associated with a first coordinate system defining a first range of motion for virtual objects in the first scene, the scene description comprising a scene graph, wherein nodes of the scene graph include object nodes, each object node being associated with a virtual object and with object metadata, the object metadata comprising interaction information identifying virtual objects that are interactable and transform information associated with a position, orientation and/or scaling of an virtual object in the first scene; selecting nodes associated with interactable virtual objects based on the interaction information and rendering a second scene of interactable virtual objects associated with the selected nodes, a second bounding space associated with a second coordinate system defining a second range of motion for virtual objects in the second scene, the second range of motion being smaller than the first range of motion; receiving a user interface signal indicative of a user interacting with at least one of the interactable virtual objects in the second scene, the user interface signal triggering an action associated with the at least one interactable virtual object, the action causing a change in the position, orientation and/or scaling of the at least one interactable virtual object in the second scene; determining a change in the position, orientation and/or scaling of an interactable virtual object in the first scene that corresponds to the at least one interactable virtual object in the second scene, the determining being based on the change in the position, orientation and/or scaling of the at least one interactable virtual object in the second scene and a coordinate transform between the first and second coordinate system; and, updating the scene description file, the updating including updating the transform information associated the interactable virtual object in the first scene based on the change in the position, orientation and/or scaling of the interactable virtual object in the first scene.

A method and an apparatus for processing a scene description for a rendering device are described, wherein the method may comprise receiving a scene description comprising a data model defining an interactive scene comprising 3D objects, the data model including hierarchically organized nodes, the nodes including object nodes, each object node being associated with a 3D object and with object metadata, the object metadata including information about interaction with the 3D object by a user or based on physics simulation; receiving a sequence of update patches for updating the scene description, wherein each application of an update patch to the scene description is associated with an updated interactive scene to be rendered by the rendering device; determining a protected scene description associated with the sequence of update patches, the protected scene description including object protection metadata for identifying one or more object nodes in the data model as protected objects nodes, the object protection metadata signalling the rendering device that interaction with 3D objects associated with protected object nodes by a user or based on physics simulation is disabled or limited when the sequence of update patches are applied to the protected scene description; and, transmitting the protected scene description and the at least one update patch to the rendering device.

An arrangement for characterizing a radio frequency (RF) device, DUT, is provided using a calibrated noise source, CNS (20), a vector network analyzer (10, VNA), a spectrum analyzer (10, SA), a switching assembly (300, 50) and a processing unit (60) configured to control the switching assembly (300, 50) and to estimate the characteristics of the RF device based on measurements performed by the VNA. In some embodiments the arrangement estimates S-parameters of the noise path from a computation using S-parameters of a signal path comprising in addition to the noise-path a further component and the inverted S-parameters of that component.

An optical transmitter comprising an active optical device configured to generate a linearly polarized optical signal, a quarter wave plate, a first polarization maintaining optical fiber, and a beam expander configured to transmit a circularly polarized optical signal, wherein the first polarization maintaining optical fiber is configured to pass the linearly polarized optical signal generated by the active optical device to the quarter wave plate and the quarter wave plate is configured to convert the linearly polarized optical signal into the circularly polarized optical signal; or the quarter wave plate is configured to convert the linearly polarized optical signal generated by the active optical device into the circularly polarized optical signal and the first polarization maintaining optical fiber is configured to pass the circularly polarized optical signal to the beam expander.

An extrusion printer comprising a print head module, and said print head module. The module being arranged for cooperating with at least one further module in a stackable arrangement such as to form an extrusion print head. The module comprises a casing. The casing comprises a first outlet channel defining a first nozzle for printing a first material, and a first inlet for receiving the first material, such as from a first supply line comprising a first material supply. The casing defines a first pump chamber connected to the first outlet channel and the first inlet. The module further comprises a first gear pump comprising two meshing gears arranged within the first pump chamber. A first meshing gear of the two meshing gears of the first pump is arranged for being actuated by a first actuator axle that extends through the stackable arrangement.

Printing head (1) for 3D semi-solid extrusion printing, comprising: - a printing head housing (5) comprising a nozzle (4); - a plurality of upstream channels (2) arranged to transport semi-solid material from a source (11) towards a corresponding progression actuator (7) during use; - a plurality of progression actuators (7) arranged to drive semi-solid material during use; - a multi-channel body (8) that is releasably provided in the printing head housing - wherein the multi-channel body is at least tapered towards the nozzle; - wherein the printing head further comprises a plurality of ducts (9) formed by the multi-channel body and the printing head housing; - wherein each upstream channel of the plurality of upstream channels is in fluid connection with the nozzle via a corresponding transport channel (3) arranged to transport a semi-solid material during use, - wherein each transport channel comprises a corresponding progression actuator and a corresponding duct such that, during use, semi-solid material present in each upstream channel is transported in a corresponding transport channel towards the nozzle.

The invention relates to a method and system for extrusion printing. A powder formulation is provided consisting of one or more components into a chamber (3) equipped with a piston (7). The powder formulation is compressed within the chamber using the piston to form a compressed block of material, wherein the piston is configured with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the chamber, such as to establish a gap (G) that is configured to permit air to escape while preventing the material from exiting therethrough during compression. The compressed block of material is extruded through a nozzle (9) to achieve extrusion printing.

Droplet deposition device comprising:- a substrate driving arrangement arranged to drive a substrate in a drive direction;- a substrate provided on the substrate driving arrangement;- a liquid dispenser arranged to provide liquid on the substrate;- a dispensing actuator arranged to control a gap distance in a dispensing direction between the liquid dispenser and the substrate;- wherein a transfer distance is defined as a gap distance in which the liquid provided by the liquid dispenser adheres to the substrate;- wherein the liquid dispenser comprises a first material and the substrate comprises a second material such that when the liquid dispenser is brought at the transfer distance from the substrate, the substrate has higher adhesion forces acting on the liquid than the liquid dispenser and the liquid present in the liquid dispenser is transferred to the substrate.

The present application pertains to a photonic in-plane chip coupling product including a support with a first and a second stack, each comprising a carrier and an optical component. The first stack has a carrier with a mounting surface and an opposing carrier surface carrying the first optical component, which has a first guided optical mode. Likewise, the second stack has a carrier and an optical component, featuring a second guided optical mode. These stacks are aligned so that the centers of their respective mode field distributions coincide. To minimize thermal deformation, at least one carrier in each stack includes layers of different materials with mutually different thermal expansion coefficients. Therewith a total thermal deformation between the mounting surfaces and the centers of the mode field distributions is minimized.

The invention is aimed at providing a transfer method for a functional material (3) onto a receiving substrate (5). The method comprises the steps of: providing a plate (1) including at least one cavity (2), providing a functional material (3) followed by providing at least one coating (4) covering the functional material. Releasing the coated functional material by imparting an energy pulse (6) at the at least one cavity such that the functional material is transferred onto a receiving substrate. (5)

An absorptive photonic memory comprises absorptive-photonic-memory material, two single-mode ports respectively arranged to receive and transmit memory light to be absorbed by, stored in and emitted from said absorptive-photonic-memory material, and control light that controls said absorptive-photonic-memory material, a multi-mode port connected to the absorptive-photonic-memory material and a spatial multiplexer that spatially multiplexes the two single-mode ports towards the multi-mode port, said spatial multiplexer comprising a plurality of waveguides in a photonic lantern configuration wherein a first subset of the plurality of waveguides is configured to guide the memory light and a second subset of the plurality of waveguides is configured to guide the control light and at least one passive or active optical circuit.

An optical phase tuning device (1) is provided that comprises a beam splitter (3), a tunable gradient phase shifter (4) and a controller (6) for providing a single drive signal (Iheat) for resistively heating the resistive heating elements. The beam splitter (3) is configured to split a coherent optical beam into a series of individual coherent beams. The tunable gradient phase shifter (4) has a corresponding series of thermo-optical phase shifters (4b, 4c, 4d, 4e), each of which is configured to apply a respective phase shift to a respective one of the individual coherent beams. The thermo-optic phase shifters each comprise a respective resistive heating element (5b, 5c, 5d, 5e) having a mutually different width. The controller (6) provides a single drive signal (Iheat) for resistively heating the resistive heating elements. Therewith a respective phase shift is imposed to each of the individual coherent beams that is substantially inversely proportional to the squared width of the respective resistive heating elements.

An optical system (100) and method for processing one or more optical beams. At least one optical coupling surface (10) is configured to receive an incoming optical beam (Lin). A first photonic circuit (30) is configured to receive a first set of optical signals (L1) from the optical coupling surface (10) and interferometrically combine these signals to cause generation of a second set of optical signals (L2) including separate tip and tilt signals (Lx,Ly) indicative of the respective angles (Ax,Ay) and/or positions (DX,DY) of the incoming optical beam (Lin) on the optical coupling surface (10). Simultaneously, one or more optical data reception signals (Lr) may be generated separately from the tip and tilt signals (Lx,Ly). Advantageously, the optical system (100) may be used for improving and/or maintaining alignment in an optical communication device.

An electronic device is disclosed, comprising a casing with a compartment that encloses an electronic circuit with one or more circuit parts provided on a flexible substrate. An attachment area of the flexible substrate is attached to a mounting plane inside the compartment. A pull tab extends from the attachment area and passes through a slot such that the pull tab is engageable from the outside of the compartment. A position of the slot with respect to the mounting plane is arranged for causing a local bending and/or stretching of the attachment area in response to a mechanical pull force on the pull tab. This creates a local stress concentration in the attachment area that propagates and detaches the flexible substrate from the mounting plane. The detached flexible substrate can be removed from the compartment through the slot.

The present invention relates to a photo-acoustic spectroscopy gas cell designed for the identification of gases. The system comprises a gas chamber for containing a gas sample and a light receiving portion that receives excitation light capable of inducing a photo-acoustic effect in the contained gas. A cantilever is mounted at/within the gas chamber. The cantilever is specifically adapted with resonance characteristics that enable it to resonate in response to the photo-acoustic excitation generated within the gas cell. A measurement unit within the system is configured to analyze the response of the cantilever to the photo-acoustic effect, thereby determining the identification of the gas based on this response. This invention provides a precise and reliable way for gas analysis and identification

The invention relates to a system and method for identifying the concentration of a gas using the photoacoustic effect. The system comprises a gas cell for containing a gas sample, an excitation light source with amplitude and/or wavelength modulation that emits light matching an absorption line of the target gas, an optical waveguide sensor adjacent to the gas cell for measuring acoustic pressure, and a processing unit to determine gas concentration from the acoustic pressure. The method involves placing the gas sample in the gas cell, directing modulated light into the cell, inducing a photoacoustic effect by the interaction of light and gas, measuring acoustic pressure via the optical waveguide sensor, and using the processing unit to determine the gas concentration. This system and method enable precise and efficient gas identification based on photoacoustic signals.

A packaged electronic device (1) is provided that comprises:a lead frame (10) comprising a fluid channel (11);an electronic device (20) mounted on a surface of the lead framea package (30) enclosing the lead frame and the electronic device comprising openings (12a, 12b) giving access to the fluid channel and terminals (40a, 40b) for providing electric contacts to the electronic device.

The disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for controlling on-demand service provisioning in a network, wherein the network comprises resources for providing a service. In the method, a service request is intercepted. At least one network function, indicated as a first network function, required for the service associated with the service request is determined. Then, the first network function is instantiated on a resource in the network for executing the service in the network.

An ultrasound system (100) comprising a housing (10) with a contact surface (10c) for contacting an object (O), and a dynamic platform (11) comprising an ultrasound transducer (13). The dynamic platform (11) is suspended inside the housing (10) and connected to the housing (10) via a flexible connection structure (12) configured to allow reorientation of the dynamic platform (11) inside the housing (10) with respect to the contact surface (10c) for modifying a field of view (F) of the ultrasound transducer (13) on the object (O). A method of measuring an object (O), the method comprising reorienting a dynamic platform (11) inside a housing (10) with respect to a contact surface (10c) of the housing (10), while the dynamic platform (11) is held suspended via a flexible connection structure (12), for modifying a field of view (F) of the ultrasound transducer (13) on the object (O).

A wearable device (10) comprises a vessel sensor (11) configured to perform measurements (Td,Tp) on a blood vessel (V) for determining a size (D) of the blood vessel (V). A pressure device (12) is configured to controllably apply an external pressure (Px) on a body part for affecting the size (D) of the blood vessel (V). An attachment means (13) is configured to hold the vessel sensor (11) and the pressure device (12) against a respective skin surface (S) of the body part so that the size (D) of the blood vessel (V), as measured by the vessel sensor (11), is affected by the external pressure (Px) applied by the pressure device (12) on the body part. A processor (14) is configured to process the measurements (Td,Tp) as affected by the external pressure (Px).

A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional electrically conductive structure (100). A substrate (S) is provided with a structure (10) comprising a set of core structures (10p), each respective core structure (10p) extending with a respective height (H) above a surface of the substrate (S). A conductive seed layer (11) is applied to the substrate (S). A mask layer (12) is applied by coating to the conductive seed layer (11). The mask material (12m) forms a mask pattern masking the conductive seed layer (11) at respective masked areas (12p) of the substrate (S). The conductive seed layer (11) is exposed at respective exposed areas (12e, 12e'). Additional electrically conductive material (13m) is grown on the conductive seed layer (11) at the respective exposed areas (12e,12e'), including the conductive seed layer (11) covering the set of core structures (10p) to form part of the three-dimensional electrically conductive structure (100).

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