What is claimed is:
1. A tunable liquid microlens comprising:
a first plurality of electrodes;
a conducting liquid; and
a second plurality of electrodes configured such that application of an equal and constant voltage to said second plurality of electrodes causes said conducting liquid to be positioned in a nominal position relative to the electrodes in either said first plurality or said second plurality of electrodes.
2. The tunable liquid microlens of claim 1 further comprising a transparent conducting substrate of a material that is transparent to at least one wavelength of light.
3. The tunable liquid microlens of claim 2 further comprising a dielectric insulating layer that insulates said plurality of electrodes from said droplet.
4. The tunable liquid microlens of claim 1 wherein a voltage across said conducting liquid is constant.
5. The tunable liquid microlens of claim 1 wherein the sum of the intersection lengths formed by an intersection of the circumference of a droplet of said conducting liquid with second plurality of electrodes changes as the distance from the center of said second plurality of electrodes increases.
6. A method for use in calibrating a liquid microlens with a droplet of conducting liquid, said method comprising:
passing a first constant voltage over a first plurality of electrodes; and
passing at least a second constant voltage over a second plurality of electrodes in order to cause said droplet to move to a nominal position.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the voltage passed over each electrode in said second plurality of electrodes is the same.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein the voltage passed over each electrode in said second plurality of electrodes is not the same.
9. The method of 6 wherein said second constant voltage is greater than a voltage on said droplet of conducting liquid.
10. A tunable liquid microlens comprising:
a first plurality of electrodes;
a droplet of conducting liquid disposed on a hydrophobic surface;
a second plurality of electrodes arranged in a pattern and disposed between said first layer of electrodes and said droplet; and
an insulating layer separating said droplet of conducting liquid from said first plurality of electrodes and said second plurality of electrodes;
wherein the sum of the intersection lengths formed by the intersection of the circumference of the droplet of liquid and the pattern of the second plurality of electrodes changes as the distance from the center of said pattern of said second plurality of electrodes increases.
11. The tunable liquid microlens of claim 10 wherein said second plurality of electrodes is arranged in a star-like pattern.
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 machine adapted to encapsulate an article in a heat sealable film comprising:
first guide and alignment members;
second guide and alignment members comprising opposing rollers; and
a heating and cutting element positioned between said first and second guide and alignment members,
such that said film moves past said first set of guide and alignment members, is then cut by said heating and cutting element, and then passes through said second guide and alignment members, where said opposing rollers are configured to compress and cool the cut film.
2. The machine of claim 1, wherein each of said guide and alignment members comprises an upper and lower pulley, and wherein said film passes between said upper and lower pulleys.
3. The machine of claim 2, wherein a first set of belts surrounds said upper pulley of said first guide and alignment member and said upper pulley of said second guide and alignment member, and a second set of belts surrounds said lower pulley of said first guide and alignment member and said lower pulley of said second guide and alignment member and wherein said film passes between said first and second sets of belts.
4. The machine of claim 3, wherein said one of said opposing rollers is positioned between said first set of belts on said upper pulley of said second guide and alignment member.
5. The machine of claim 4, wherein said a second of said opposing rollers is positioned between said second set of belts on said lower pulley of said second guide and alignment member.
6. The machine of claim 3, wherein said first set of belts surrounding said upper pulleys diverge from one another and said second set of belts surrounding said lower pulleys diverge from one another.
7. The machine of claim 6, wherein said first and second sets of belts comprise an inner belt and an outer belt, and wherein said inner belt guides surplus film that has been cut away from the remaining portion of said film.
8. The machine of claim 7, wherein said opposing rollers compress said remaining portion of said film, and do not compress said surplus film.
9. The machine of claim 1, wherein said opposing rollers apply at least 1 PSI to said film.
10. The machine of claim 1, wherein said opposing rollers comprise a core and an annular ring surrounding said core.
11. The machine of claim 10, said core comprises metal and said annular ring comprises a pliable material.
12. The machine of claim 10, said core comprises a pliable material and said annular ring comprises metal.
13. The machine of claim 1, wherein said opposing rollers remove heats from said film as said film passes between said opposing rollers.
14. A method of cutting and sealing a heat sealable film comprising:
a. Feeding said film into a first guide and alignment member, which pulls said film toward a heated cutting element;
b. Cutting said film with said heated cutting element, which also heats said films;
c. Separating said film into a surplus portion and a remaining portion; and
d. Compressing said remaining portion with opposing rollers attached to a second guide and alignment member.
15. The method of claim 14, whereby two sets of belts are used to couple said first and second guide and alignment members, and each set comprises an inner and outer belt.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said inner and outer belts diverge from one another.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein said inner belts guide said surplus portion away from said remaining portion of said film.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein said heated cutting element is located between said first and second guide and alignment members.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein said remaining portion is cooled while being compressed with said opposing rollers.