Author: claimsbot

1. A device for fastening tissue, comprising:
a generally elongated body comprising a distal end and a proximal end, and further comprising a main body and an inner body, wherein the inner body is slidably received within the main body, and a distal end of the inner body extends out from a distal opening of the main body;
a first cutting element positioned on the main body and a second cutting element positioned on the inner body at the distal end of the generally elongate body;
a control element at the proximal end of the generally elongate body, the control element configured to withdraw the inner body within the main body when the control element is moved in a first direction, the control element further configured to move the cutting elements into engagement when moved in a second direction, wherein the first direction is different from the second direction; and
a clip releasably secured to and positioned on the distal end of the inner body, the clip comprising an inner lumen in which the at least a portion of the distal end of the inner body is slidingly positioned, wherein withdrawal of the inner body within the main body releases the clip from the distal end of the inner body.
2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:
an outer body, wherein the generally elongated body and clip are slidably received within the outer body.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the generally elongated body comprises a longitudinal axis, and wherein the first direction is generally rotational about the longitudinal axis of the elongated body, and the second direction is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated body.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first cutting element comprises a sharpened edge and the second cutting element comprises an unsharpened edge.
5. A device for fastening tissue, comprising:
a generally elongated body comprising a main body and an inner body, the generally elongated body also comprising a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the inner body is slidably received within the main body;
a first cutting element positioned on the main body and a second cutting element positioned on the inner body at the distal end of the generally elongate body, the first cutting element and second cutting element configured to be moved into engagement with each other;
a clip holder positioned on the generally elongated body distal end, the clip holder configured to move from a holding position to a release position, wherein the clip holder comprises a distal end of the inner body, and the distal end of the inner body extends out from a distal opening of the main body;
a control handle positioned at the generally elongated body proximal end, the control handle configured for movement in a first direction and in a second direction, wherein movement of the control handle in the first direction moves the clip holder from the holding position to the release position, and movement of the control handle in the second direction moves the cutting elements into engagement with each other, wherein the first direction is different from the second direction; and
a clip releasably secured to and positioned on the distal end of the inner body, the clip comprising an inner lumen in which the at least a portion of the distal end of the inner body is slidingly positioned, wherein moving the clip holder to the release position releases the clip from the clip holder.
6. The device of claim 5, wherein the control handle is configured to retract the inner body distal end within the main body distal opening when the control handle is moved in the first direction.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein the first direction is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated body.
8. The device of claim 6, wherein the first direction is generally rotational about the longitudinal axis of the elongated body.
9. The device of claim 6, wherein the second direction is generally rotational about the longitudinal axis of the elongated body.
10. The device of claim 5, wherein the first cutting element comprises a first edge surface of the main body and the second cutting element comprises a second edge surface of the inner body, and wherein the control handle is configured to move the first edge surface of the main body into contact with the second edge surface of the inner body when the control handle is moved in the second direction.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein the inner body comprises a suture lumen and a side opening, and wherein the second edge surface of the inner body is positioned on the inner body side opening.
12. The device of claim 11, wherein the main body comprises a side opening, and wherein the first edge surface of the main body is positioned on the main body side opening.
13. The device of claim 10, wherein the second direction is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated body.

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 package assembly structure comprising:
a lead frame having a top-side surface and an opposite under-side surface, the lead frame including:
a die attach paddle, wherein a die attach region is defined on the opposite under-side surface;
pad landings surrounding the die attach region; and
a plurality of locking pins arranged at predetermined locations about the die attach paddle, on the top-side surface.
2. The package assembly structure, as recited in claim 1,
wherein the plurality of locking pins is formed integrally to the lead frame and project upward from the top-side surface.
3. The package assembly structure as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of locking pins is at least one.
4. The package assembly structure as recited in claim 3, wherein the plurality of locking pins is at least two.
5. The package assembly structure as recited in claim 4, wherein one or more locking pins is electrically connected to one or more corresponding pad landings.
6. The package assembly structure as recited in claim 5, further comprising,
an intermediate substrate having through-plated holes defined in locations corresponding to the predetermined locations on the lead frame, the through-plated holes frictionally accommodating the locking pins on said lead frame, the intermediate substrate having conductive traces for connecting passive components to one another and to selected pad landings via the through-plated holes; and
wherein the passive components are selected from at least one of the following: inductors, capacitors, resistors.
7. The package assembly structure as recited in claim 6, wherein the through-plated holes have been soldered to enhance electrical connections between the intermediate substrate and the lead frame.
8. The package assembly structure as recited in claim 6, further comprising,
an integrated circuit (IC) device die, the integrated circuit device die having bond pads surrounding active circuits;
wherein the IC device die bonded to the die attach region and the bond pads are electrically coupled to the pad landings by conductive interconnects; and
wherein the package assembly is enveloped in an encapsulant.
9. The package assembly structure as recited in claim 8, wherein the conductive interconnects are selected from the following: wire bonds, ribbon bonds, ball bonds.
9. An electronic device comprising:
a lead frame having a top-side surface and an opposite under-side surface, the lead frame including, a die attach paddle, wherein a die attach region are defined on the opposite under-side surface, pad landings surrounding the die attach region; and a plurality of locking couplings of a gender arranged at predetermined locations about the die attach paddle, on the topside surface;
an intermediate substrate having locking couplings of an opposite gender corresponding to the predetermined locations for frictionally receiving the locking couplings of the lead frame and providing mechanical connection between the lead frame and the intermediate substrate, the intermediate substrate mounted on the topside surface of the lead frame;
wherein the intermediate substrate has areas defined for passive component circuits; and

an active device die attached to the die attach region on the opposite under-side surface of the lead frame wherein bond pads of the active device die are electrically connected to the pad landings of the lead frame by conductive interconnects.
10. The electronic device as recited in claim 9, wherein on the lead frame, the locking couplings of the gender type are selected from the following: male, female;
wherein if the gender type is male, the locking coupling is a pin, the opposite gender locking coupling is a hole; and
wherein if the gender type is female, the locking coupling is a hole, the opposite gender locking coupling is a pin.
11. The electronic device as recited in claim 10, wherein on the lead frame, selected pad landings are electrically connected to the locking couplings at the predetermined locations, providing electrical connection from selected areas of the intermediate substrate to selected bond pads of the active device die, connecting passive components to the active device die.
12. The package assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein the intermediate substrate has passive components mounted thereon, the passive components being electrically connected to the locking couplings, the locking couplings being connected to the selected pad landings.

1. A device (102, 302) for measuring a geometry of a fluid meniscus (132, 328), comprising:
a fluid chamber (104, 304) comprising a first fluid (128, 324) and a second fluid (130, 326), which first fluid is electrically conductive, which second fluid is electrically insulating, and which first and second fluids are mutually immiscible and in contact with each other over a fluid meniscus (132, 328),
a main electrowetting electrode (118, 318) located in a main plane (319) and auxiliary electrowetting electrodes (120, 122, 124, 126) partially surrounding the fluid chamber and being located in respective auxiliary planes (121, 123, 125, 127), for controlling the geometry of the fluid meniscus,
a voltage source (134, 33) for providing a voltage between the main electrowetting electrode and a plurality of auxiliary electrowetting electrodes,
a measurement circuit (144, 342) for separately measuring capacitances between the main electrowetting electrode and at least two of the respective auxiliary electrowetting electrodes (320, 322), the measurement circuit comprising a multiplexer (212, 414) for demodulating a signal (210, 412) indicative for said respective capacitances.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the measurement circuit is arranged for measuring capacitances between the main electrowetting electrode and each of the auxiliary electrowetting electrodes (120, 122, 124, 12).
3. The device according to claim 1, comprising a voltage control circuit (154, 350) for controlling the voltage provided between the main electrowetting electrode and each of the auxiliary electrowetting electrodes based on a control signal (156, 343) provided by the measurement circuit.
4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the measurement circuit comprises an operational amplifier (204) for measuring capacitances between the main electrowetting electrode and at least two of the respective auxiliary electrowetting electrodes, wherein the operational amplifier is provided with a negative feedback loop (206), which negative feedback loop is provided with a measurement capacitor (208) having a predetermined measurement capacitance, wherein the operational amplifier is arranged for cooperation with an input (211) of the multiplexer.
5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the measurement circuit comprises a switching circuit (404) for measuring capacitances between the main electrowetting electrode and at least two of the respective auxiliary electrowetting electrodes, wherein the switching circuit comprises a first measurement capacitor (406) having a predetermined first measurement capacitance, and a second measurement capacitor (408) having a predetermined second measurement capacitance, wherein the first and second measurement capacitances are mutually different, the switching circuit further comprising a capacitance switch (410) for driving the first and second measurement capacitors in an alternating way, wherein the switching circuit is arranged for cooperation with an input (413) of the multiplexer.
6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the multiplexer is a time domain multiplexer (414), wherein the time domain multiplexer employs demodulation signals, each demodulation signal being a square wave signal having a low value and a high value, wherein the voltage source comprises voltage switches (331, 333, 407, 409) for alternatingly disconnecting the voltages corresponding to the high values of the respective demodulating values.
7. The device according to claims 1, wherein the multiplexer is a frequency domain multiplexer (212), wherein the voltage source is arranged for providing voltages at specific frequencies and wherein the frequency domain multiplexer employs demodulation signals each having a frequency component corresponding to the respective specific frequencies.
8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first fluid has a first refractive index and the second fluid has a second refractive index, wherein the first and second refractive indices are mutually different.
9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first fluid provides a first speed of sound and the and second fluid provides a second speed of sound, wherein the first and second speeds of sound are mutually different.
10. A catheter (140) comprising the device according to claim 1.
11. Use of the device according to claim 1, in a catheter for ultrasound applications.
12. Use of the device according to claim 1, in an optical storage drive.
13. Use of the device according to claim 1, in a photo camera.
14. A method for measuring a geometry of a fluid meniscus (132, 328) between an electrically conducting first fluid (128, 324) and an electrically insulating second fluid (130, 326) comprised in a fluid chamber (104, 304), the fluids being mutually immiscible, comprising steps (502, 504) of:
providing a voltage between a main electrowetting electrode (118, 318) located in a main plane (119, 319) and auxiliary electrowetting electrodes (120, 122, 124, 126) partially surrounding the fluid chamber and being located in an auxiliary planes (121, 123, 125, 127), and
separately measuring capacitances between the main electrowetting electrode and at least two of the auxiliary electrowetting electrodes (320, 322) by a measurement circuit (144, 342) comprising a multiplexer (212, 414).
15. The method according to claim 14, comprising a step (506) of controlling the voltage provided to the auxiliary electrowetting electrodes based on a signal provided by the measurement circuit.

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 semiconductor device, comprising:
a first gate electrode structure buried in a semiconductor portion and comprising array stripes inside a first cell array of transistor cells and a contact stripe outside the first cell array, the array stripes of the first gate electrode structure structurally connected with each other and structurally connected with the contact stripe;
a second gate electrode structure buried in the semiconductor portion and comprising array stripes inside a second cell array of transistor cells, wherein the array stripes of the second gate electrode structure are structurally connected wit each other and an array isolation region of the semiconductor portion spatially separates the first and second gate electrode structures; and
a connection plug extending between a first surface of the semiconductor portion and the contact stripe of the first gate electrode structure.
2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the contact stripe is wider than the array stripes.
3. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein a fill structure extends between the first surface and the array stripes and a spacer structure from a material of the fill structure extends along the connection plug between the first surface and the first gate electrode structure.
4. The semiconductor device of claim 1, comprising at least one spacer stripe structurally connecting the array stripes with the contact stripe.
5. The semiconductor device of claim 1, comprising semiconductor fins between the array stripes, wherein separation structures spatially separate sections of the semiconductor fins adjoining the first surface.
6. The semiconductor device of claim 1, comprising a connection wiring directly adjoining both the connection plug assigned to the first cell array and sections of semiconductor fins assigned to the second cell array.
7. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the array isolation region completely surrounds the first cell array in lateral directions parallel to the first surface.
8. A power semiconductor device with active drift zone, the power semiconductor device comprising:
a first gate electrode structure buried in a semiconductor portion and comprising array stripes inside a first cell array of transistor cells and a contact stripe outside the first cell array, the array stripes of the first gate electrode structure structurally connected with each other and with the contact stripe structurally connected with the array stripes;
a second gate electrode structure buried in the semiconductor portion and comprising array stripes inside a second cell array of transistor cells, wherein an array stripes of the second gate electrode structure are structurally connected with each other and an array isolation region of the semiconductor portion spatially separates the first and second gate electrode structures;
a connection plug extending between a first surface of the semiconductor portion and the contact stripe of the first gate electrode structure; and
a connection wiring directly adjoining active semiconductor areas of the transistor cells of the second cell array and the connection plug.