1. A method comprising:
positioning a substrate comprising a deposited thin film within a chamber;
providing an etching ambient environment within said chamber; and
irradiating said substrate with ultraviolet radiation.
2. The method according to claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said providing of said etching ambient environment and said irradiating are performed simultaneously.
3. The method according to claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said providing of said etching ambient environment is performed before said irradiating.
4. The method according to claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said etching ambient environment is provided in such concentrations that said etching ambient environment removes hydrogen from said deposited thin film.
5. The method according to claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said etching ambient environment is provided in such concentrations that said etching ambient environment removes oxygen from said deposited thin film.
6. A method comprising:
positioning a substrate comprising a deposited thin film within a chamber;
providing an etching ambient environment within said chamber;
generating an electrical discharge in said chamber; and
irradiating said substrate with ultraviolet radiation.
7. The method according to claim 6, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said providing of said etching ambient environment, said generating of said electrical discharge, and said irradiating are performed simultaneously.
8. The method according to claim 6, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said providing of said etching ambient environment and said generating of said electrical discharge are performed before said irradiating.
9. The method according to claim 6, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said etching ambient environment and said generating of said electrical discharge are provided in such concentrations that said etching ambient environment removes hydrogen from said deposited thin film.
10. The method according to claim 6, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said etching ambient environment and said generating of said electrical discharge are provided in such concentrations that said etching ambient environment removes oxygen from said deposited thin film.
11. An apparatus comprising:
a chamber adapted to accommodate a substrate comprising a deposited thin film;
a dispenser connected to said chamber, wherein said dispenser is adapted to create, within said chamber, an etching ambient environment; and
an ultraviolet light source within said chamber adapted to irradiate said substrate with ultraviolet radiation.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising a controller connected to said dispenser and said ultraviolet light source, wherein said controller is adapted to provide said etching ambient environment and said ultraviolet radiation simultaneously.
13. The apparatus according to claim 11, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising a controller connected to said dispenser and said ultraviolet light source, wherein said controller is adapted to provide said etching ambient environment before said ultraviolet radiation.
14. The apparatus according to claim 11, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said dispenser is adapted to provide said etching ambient environment in such concentrations that said etching ambient environment removes hydrogen from said deposited thin film.
15. The apparatus according to claim 11, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said dispenser is adapted to provide said etching ambient environment in such concentrations that said etching ambient environment removes oxygen from said deposited thin film.
16. An apparatus comprising:
a chamber adapted to accommodate a substrate comprising a deposited thin film;
a dispenser connected to said chamber, wherein said dispenser is adapted to create, within said chamber, an etching ambient environment;
a generator connected to said chamber, wherein said generator is adapted to generate an electrical discharge in said chamber; and
an ultraviolet light source within said chamber adapted to irradiate said substrate with ultraviolet radiation.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising a controller connected to said dispenser, said generator, and said ultraviolet light source, wherein said controller is adapted to provide said etching ambient environment, said electrical discharge, and said ultraviolet radiation simultaneously.
18. The apparatus according to claim 16, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising a controller connected to said dispenser, said generator, and said ultraviolet light source, wherein said controller is adapted to provide said etching ambient environment and said electrical discharge before said ultraviolet radiation.
19. The apparatus according to claim 16, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said dispenser is adapted to provide said etching ambient environment in such concentrations, and said generator is adapted to generate said electrical discharge in such a manner that said etching ambient environment removes hydrogen from said deposited thin film.
20. The apparatus according to claim 16, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said dispenser is adapted to provide said etching ambient environment in such concentrations, and said generator is adapted to generate said electrical discharge in such a manner that said etching ambient environment removes oxygen from said deposited thin film.
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. A computer implemented method for processing graphomotor motion in a diagnostic task, the method comprising:
receiving, at a computing device, first data representing graphomotor motion made by a first subject during a first execution of a graphomotor diagnostic task performed in a medical context, wherein the data representing the motion comprises data representing dynamic characteristics of said motion;
processing, using the computing device, prior data characterizing motion made during one or more prior executions of the diagnostic task to determine characteristics of one or more motion element classes;
processing, using the computing device, the first data representing the motion to identify a plurality of elements in the motion, including classifying at least some of said elements according to the one or more motion element classes; and
determining, using the computing device, using the processed first data and the determined characteristics of the one or more motion element classes, a quantitative, qualitative andor categorical assessment of the first execution of the diagnostic task associated with neurocognitive mechanisms underlying said motion.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising soliciting the first subject to make the graphomotor motion and recording the first data representing said motion.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the prior data includes data characterizing one or more prior executions by the first subject of the diagnostic task.
4. The method of claim 2 further comprising identifying, using the processed first data and the determined characteristics of the one or more motion element classes, changes in the first subject’s executions of the graphomotor diagnostic task over time.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the prior data includes data characterizing one or more prior executions by subjects other than the first subject of the diagnostic task.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the processing to determine characteristics of the one or more motion element classes includes establishing a performance baseline, and determining the assessment of the first diagnostic task by the subject is based on the performance baseline.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic task includes a clock drawing test.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the motion element classes include one or more of hour numbers, an hour hand, a minute hand, a second hand, a clock face outline, and a clock face center point.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the dynamic characteristics include one or more of a change of position relative to a reference point, an acceleration of motion, a rate of motion, a time of making a motion relative to a time of making another different motion, a starting position and an ending position relative to an expected starting position and an expected ending position, and one or more via point positions relative one or more corresponding via point positions between a starting position and an ending position.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the characteristics of the one or more motion element classes include one or more of spatial characteristics, geometric characteristics, chronological, and temporal characteristics.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the assessment of the first execution of the diagnostic task includes a diagnosis assessment.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the graphomotor motion includes motion related to a movement of an appendage of the first subject during execution of the diagnostic task.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the quantitative, qualitative, andor categorical assessment of the first execution of the diagnostic task includes identifying element omission errors, element perseveration errors, element rotation errors, element misplacement errors, element distortion errors, element substitution errors, and element addition errors.
14. Software embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for causing a data processor to:
receive first data representing graphomotor motion made by a first subject during a first execution of a graphomotor diagnostic task performed in a medical context, wherein the data representing the motion comprises data representing dynamic characteristics of said motion;
process prior data characterizing motion during one or more prior executions of the diagnostic task to determine characteristics of one or more motion element classes;
process the first data representing the motion to identify a plurality of elements in the motion, including classifying at least some of said elements according to the one or more motion element classes; and
determine, using the processed first data and the determined characteristics of the one or more motion element classes, a quantitative, qualitative andor categorical assessment of the first execution of the diagnostic task associated with neurocognitive mechanisms underlying said motion.
15. A computer implemented system comprising:
an input for receiving first data representing graphomotor motion during a first execution by a first subject of a graphomotor diagnostic task performed in a medical context, wherein the data representing the motion comprises data representing dynamic characteristics of said motion;
a prior data processing module for processing prior data characterizing motion during one or more prior executions of the diagnostic task to determine characteristics of one or more motion element classes;
a classification module for processing the first data representing the motion to identify a plurality of elements in the motion, including classifying at least some of said elements according to the one or more motion element classes; and
an assessment module for using the processed first data and the determined characteristics of the one or more motion element classes to determine a quantitative, qualitative andor categorical assessment of the first execution of the diagnostic task associated with neurocognitive mechanisms underlying said motion.