1. A method for forming a fuel cell assembly, comprising the steps of:
a) forming a fuel cell sub-assembly module containing at least two bonded together fuel cell units, said at least two fuel cell units each including an anode, a cathode, and a membrane electrode assembly, wherein said at least two fuel cell units are bonded together using at least one elastomeric gasket and at least one gasketing element, and wherein one of said at least one elastomeric gasket or said at least one gasketing element is cured prior to bonding together said at least two fuel cell units, and the other of said at least one elastomeric gasket and said at least one gasketing element is cured during the bonding together of said at least two fuel cell units;
b) testing said sub-assembly module; and
c) joining together a plurality of sub-assembly modules to form said fuel cell assembly.
2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said sub-assembly modules comprises a plurality of bipolar plates assemblies interspersed with a plurality of membrane electrode assembly elements.
3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said forming step for each of said sub-assembly modules includes the steps of:
a) providing an assembly fixture having at least one alignment element for receiving fuel cell components:
b) selecting n+1 number of bipolar plate assemblies and n number of membrane electrode assembly elements, each bipolar plate assembly having an anode and a cathode, wherein n is the number of said plurality of fuel cell units desired in said sub-assembly module;
c) providing said at least one elastomeric gasket on one of said anode and cathode of n+1 bipolar plate assemblies;
d) providing said at least one gasketing element on the other of said anode and said cathode of n+1 bipolar plate assemblies, at least one of said at least one elastomeric gasket and said at least one gasketing element including a curable liquid rubber material;
e) installing onto said assembly fixture one of said n+1 bipolar plate assemblies, said alignment element engaging said one of said n+1 bipolar plate assemblies;
f) installing onto said assembly fixture a membrane electrode assembly element into contact with said just-installed bipolar plate assembly;
g) installing onto said assembly fixture another of said n+1 bipolar plate assemblies, the anode of said one or said another of said n+1 bipolar plate assemblies being disposed adjacent said cathode of the other of said one or said another of said n+1 bipolar plate assemblies, and said alignment element engaging said bipolar plate assembly being installed;
h) repeating steps f) and g) for the remaining number of provided bipolar plate assemblies and provided MEA elements to form a stack of n fuel cell units;
i) applying compressive force to said stack of n fuel cell units whilst curing said curable liquid rubber material of said at least one of said elastomeric gasket and said at least one gasketing element to form a fuel cell sub-assembly module.
4. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein said at least one elastomeric gasket includes a sealant that is liquid during said bipolar plate installing step.
5. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein said at least one gasketing element includes a sealant that is liquid during said bipolar plate installing step.
6. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein at least one of said membrane electrode assemblies includes gas diffusion layers.
7. A fuel cell assembly comprising a plurality of fuel cells bonded together to form a fuel cell sub-assembly module, wherein said fuel cell sub-assembly module is included in a plurality of fuel cell sub-assembly modules, wherein said plurality of fuel cell sub-assembly modules are bonded together to form said fuel cell assembly, wherein at least one of said fuel cells includes a bipolar plate assembly and a membrane electrode assembly, wherein at least one gasket and at least one gasketing element are positioned between at least two of said plurality of fuel cells, and wherein one of said at least one gasket or said at least one gasketing element is cured prior to bonding together said at least two of said plurality of fuel cells, and the other of said at least one gasket and said at least one gasketing element is cured during the boding together of said at least two of said plurality of fuel cells.
8. A fuel cell assembly comprising a plurality of fuel cells bonded together to form a fuel cell sub-assembly module, wherein said fuel cell sub-assembly module is included in a plurality of fuel cell sub-assembly modules, wherein said plurality of fuel cell sub-assembly modules are bonded together to form said fuel cell assembly, wherein at least one of said fuel cells includes a bipolar plate assembly and a membrane electrode assembly, wherein at least one gasket and at least one gasketing element are positioned between at least two of said plurality of fuel cell sub-assembly modules, and wherein one of said at least one gasket or said at least one gasketing element is cured prior to bonding together said at least two of said fuel cell sub-assemblies, and the other of said at least one gasket and said at least one gasketing element is cured during the bonding together of said at least two of said fuel cell sub-assembly modules.
9. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein said at least one alignment element is a rod, wherein each of said bipolar plate assemblies include a bore, and wherein each of said bores receive said rod to align said bipolar plate assemblies.
10. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said at least one gasketing element has a thickness of no more than about 0.005 inches.
11. A method for forming a fuel cell assembly, comprising the steps of:
a) forming a fuel cell sub-assembly module containing at least two bonded together fuel cell units, said at least two fuel cell units each including an anode, a cathode, and a membrane electrode assembly;
b) testing said sub-assembly module; and
c) joining together a plurality of sub-assembly modules to form said fuel cell assembly, wherein said plurality of sub-assembly modules are joined together using at least one elastomeric gasket and at least one gasketing element, and wherein one of said at least one elastomeric gasket or said at least one gasketing element is cured prior to joining together at least two of said plurality of sub-assembly modules, and the other of said at least one elastomeric gasket and said at least one gasketing element is cured during the joining together of said at least two of said plurality of sub-assembly modules.
12. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said at least one gasketing element has a thickness of no more than about 0.005 inches.
13. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 7 wherein said at least one gasketing element has a thickness of no more than about 0.005 inches.
14. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 7 wherein said membrane electrode assembly is positioned between at least one of said at least one gasket and said at least one gasketing element.
15. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 8 wherein said at least one gasketing element has a thickness of no more than about 0.005 inches.
16. A fuel cell assembly in accordance with claim 8 wherein said membrane electrode assembly is positioned between at least one of said at least one gasket and said at least one gasketing element.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. (canceled)
2. An apparatus for manipulating a medical device including an actuation wire, the apparatus comprising:
a handle having a longitudinal axis;
an actuator having a major axis and a minor axis, wherein the actuator is coupled to the handle at a pivot with the major axis oriented transverse to the longitudinal axis; and
a pulley mechanically coupled to the actuator at a point offset from the pivot and configured to receive the actuation wire,
wherein, when the actuator is pivoted relative to the handle, the pulley is engaged to move relative to the handle.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pulley is offset from the pivot in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the handle.
4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, when the actuator is pivoted relative to the handle, the pulley is engaged to rotate relative to the handle.
5. A medical device, comprising:
an elongated flexible body having a proximal end;
a handle attached to the proximal end of the elongated flexible body, wherein a longitudinal axis of the handle is aligned with the elongated flexible body when the elongated flexible body is in a neutral position;
an actuator having a major axis and a minor axis, wherein the actuator is coupled to the handle at a pivot with the major axis oriented transverse to the longitudinal axis of the handle;
a first pulley mechanically coupled to the actuator at a first point offset from the pivot;
a second pulley mechanically coupled to the actuator at a second point offset from the pivot;
a first actuation wire coupled at one end to the first pulley and at another end to a distal portion of the elongated flexible body; and
a second actuation coupled at one end to the second pulley and at another end to the distal portion of the elongated flexible body,
wherein, when the actuator is pivoted relative to the handle, the first and second pulleys are engaged to move relative to the handle, thereby placing one of the first and second actuation wires in tension and deflecting the elongate flexible body from the neutral position.
6. The medical device according to claim 5, wherein, when the actuator is pivoted relative to the handle, the first and second pulleys are engaged to move relative to the handle, thereby placing one of the first and second actuation wires in tension, placing the other of the first and second actuation wires in compression, and deflecting the elongate flexible body from the neutral position.
7. The medical device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first point offset from the pivot and the second point offset from the pivot is offset from the pivot in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the handle.
8. An apparatus for manipulating a medical device including an actuation wire, the apparatus comprising:
a handle;
an elongate actuator coupled to the handle and configured to rotate relative to the handle about an axis of rotation; and
a pulley coupled to the actuator at a point offset from the axis of rotation of the elongate actuator,
wherein, when the actuator is rotated relative to the handle, the pulley moves relative to the handle.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the pulley is offset from the axis of rotation of the elongate actuator in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the handle.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the pulley coupled to the actuator at a point offset from the axis of rotation of the elongate actuator comprises two pulleys coupled to the actuator at points offset from the axis of rotation of the elongate actuator.
10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the pulley is mounted on an axle attached to the handle.
11. An apparatus for manipulating a medical device including a first actuation wire and a second actuation wire, the apparatus comprising:
a handle having a longitudinal axis;
an elongate actuator coupled to the handle at a pivot;
a first link connected to the first actuation wire and to a first point on the elongate actuator, wherein the first point is offset from the pivot in a first direction transverse to the longitudinal axis; and
a second link connected to the second actuation wire and to a second point on the elongate actuator, wherein the second point is offset from the pivot in a second direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction,
wherein, when the actuator is pivoted relative to the handle from a neutral position in the first direction, the first link and the first actuation wire are driven distally and the second link and the second actuation wire are driven proximally, and
wherein, when the actuator is pivoted relative to the handle from a neutral position in the second direction, the second link and the second actuation wire are driven distally and the first link and the first actuation wire are driven proximally.