Experimental results are reported on the coupling of rf energy and acoustic surface waves in aluminum nitride (AlN) on sapphire and gallium nitride (GaN) on sapphire material systems. Metallized interdigital transducers are deposited on the AlN and GaN surfaces to generate and detect the acoustic surface wave energy.

No abstract

The suppression and enhancement of proliferation of mouse EL4 lymphoma cells varied significantly when the cells were electrically stimulated within a narrow range of low-level direct current. With the use of platinum electrodes, the suppression characteristics were observed over a narrow range, or window, of direct currents centered at approximately 17 microA. Enhancement characteristics were observed over a broad range of low-level direct currents (approximately 0.1 to 10 microA). These results indicate that the proliferation of certain eukaryotic cells may be directly controlled by stimulation with low-level direct current.

Oxidation temperature dependence of the dc electrical conduction characteristics and dielectric strength of thin Ta2O5 films on silicon

One of the more interesting applications of electrotherapy involves its use in the treatment of visual disease; including retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. The therapeutic efficacy of electrotherapy is highly dependent upon the incorporation of appropriate design choices for both the electrotherapeutic device and treatment protocol. Electrotherapeutic design drivers include electrode probe-tissue interface, device reliability, operational constraints, treatment protocol procedures, and safety. In FDA guided and FDA supervised clinical studies (FDA pre-IDE numbers 1980275 and 1000038 and FDA IDE number G020106) involving electrotherapeutic intervention for dry macular degeneration, 61% of a 400 patient cohort treated with electrotherapy achieved visual acuity improvements of two lines or more on the Snellen chart. Average electric current intensities in the range of 60 to 125 muA were utilized to achieve this level of therapeutic efficacy. With further improvements in the design of electrotherapeutic device waveforms, frequency selection, treatment protocols and electrode probe configurations; long-term visual acuity improvements of two lines or better on the Snellen chart can be anticipated for more than 60% of the patients who are in the early stages of retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy and dry macular degeneration.