Abstract:
An active matrix display device comprises an array of display pixels, each pixel comprising: a current-driven light emitting display element (2); a drive transistor (22) for driving a current through the display element; a storage capacitor (24) for storing a voltage to be used for addressing the drive transistor; and an addressing transistor (16) for coupling data from a data line (6) to the pixel during pixel addressing. The addressing transistor (16) comprises a phototransistor, and the data line (6) is used for external monitoring of the phototransistor. This device design uses a pixel-addressing transistor (16) as the optical feedback element. This addressing transistor is a fundamental requirement of an active matrix-addressing scheme, and its use as a feedback element can therefore avoid any addition pixel complexity to implement an optical feedback function.
Abstract:
An active matrix display device comprises an array of display pixels, each pixel comprising a current-driven light emitting display element (2), a drive transistor (22) for driving a current through the display element (2) and a storage capacitor (30) for storing a voltage to be used for addressing the drive transistor (22). A discharge transistor (36) is used for discharging the storage capacitor (30) thereby to switch off the drive transistor in dependence on the light output of the display element (2). Reading circuitry (70) is used for monitoring the charge on a discharge capacitor (40), the pixel data is corrected in response to the reading circuitry measurements. This can extend the lifetime of the display.
Abstract:
The invention relates to different designs of a microelectronic device comprising an array of heating elements (HE) with local driving units (CU2) and optionally with an array of sensor elements (SE) adjacent to a sample chamber (SC). By applying appropriate currents to the heating elements (HE), the sample chamber can be heated according to a desired temperature profile. The local driving units comprise means for compensating variations of their individual characteristics.
Abstract:
The invention relates to different designs of a microelectronic device comprising heating electrodes (HE) and field electrodes (FE) that have effect in the same sub-region of a sample chamber. By applying appropriate voltages to the field electrodes (FE), an electrical field (E) can be generated in the sample chamber. By applying appropriate currents to the heating electrodes (HE), the sample chamber can be heated according to a desired temperature profile. The heating electrodes (HE) may optionally be operated as field electrodes such that they generate an electrical field in the sample chamber, too.
Abstract:
Physical barriers (210) are present between neighbouring pixels (200) on a circuit substrate (100) of an active-matrix electroluminescent display device, particularly with LEDs (25) of organic semi conductor materials. The invention forms these barriers (210) with metal or other electrically-conductive material (240), that is insulated (40) from the LEDs but connected to the circuitry within the substrate (100). This conductive barrier material (240) backs-up or replaces at least a part of the drive supply line (140,240) to which the LEDs are connected by a drive element T1. This transfers the problem of line resistance and associated voltage drop from within the circuit substrate (100), where it is severely constrained, to the much freer environment of the pixel barriers (210) on the substrate (100) where the conductive barrier material (240) can provide much lower resistance. Very large displays can be made with low voltage drops along this composite drive supply line (140,240). Furthermore, the structure can be optimised to form a smoothing capacitor (Cs) between this drive supply line (140,240) with its conductive barrier material (240) and the further supply line (230) of the LED upper electrodes (23) extending on an insulating coating (40) over the top of the conductive barrier material (240).
Abstract:
A transistor control circuit (74) comprises a source-gated thin film transistor (70), an input for receiving a drive voltage representing a desired control of the source-gated transistor and a current source (82) for causing a known current to pass through the source-gated transistor (70). A first capacitor (78) stores a resulting gate-source voltage of the source-gated transistor when the known current is passed through the source-gated transistor. The drive voltage is modified using the resulting gate-source voltage, and the modified voltage is used in the control of the source-gated transistor. This control can provide a translational shift in the operating characteristics of the transistor, and it has been found that this can compensate for ageing of the transistor, for non-uniformity between different devices, and for temperature variations.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a device for DNA sequencing, comprising DNA base calling at an early stage in the detection and processing of time controlled fluorescence detection for DNA sequencing applications.
Abstract:
An integrated microfluidic device having a number of chambers (11-MN) for heating a fluid, a number of electrical heating elements (R) for heating different ones of the chambers, a controller for controlling the heating elements to vary a temperature of the fluid in the chambers repeatedly through a cycle of different temperatures, the controller being arranged to time the temperature cycle for a given one of the chambers to be out of phase with temperature cycles of others of the chambers. This can help reduce peak power consumption, and thus reduce unwanted voltage drops on supply lines. These can cause loss of precision in heating and sensing circuits. The device can comprise a low temperature polysilicon on a glass substrate. The controller can be coupled to the heating elements using an active matrix of control lines and switches (T2).
Abstract:
The invention relates to a device for analyzing one or more samples for the presence, amount or identity of one or more target molecules in the samples, comprising one or more capture sites whereby the device comprises a gas evolving means. The gas evolved by the gas evolving means moves unbound target molecules away from the capture site and therefore helps to increase the efficacy of the analysis.
Abstract:
Physical barriers (210) are present between neighboring pixels (200) on a circuit substrate (100) of an active-matrix display device, such as an electroluminescent display formed with LEDs (25) of organic semiconductor materials. The invention forms at least parts of the barriers (210) with metal or other electrically-conductive material (240) that is insulated (40) from the LEDs but connected to the circuitry (4, 5, 6, 9, 140, 150, 160, T1, T2, Tm, Tg, Ch etc.) within the substrate (100). This conductive barrier material (240) may back up or replace, for example, matrix addressing lines (150) and/or form an additional component either within the pixel array or outside. The additional component comprising the conductive barrier material (240) is advantageously a capacitor (Ch), or an inductor (L) or transformer (W), or even an aerial.