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Last month, we discussed the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) recently published final rule making changes to the so-called "white collar" overtime exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). We also presented a…more
DOL, Exempt-Employees, Final Rules, FLSA, Minimum Salary
See All Updates »
Missouri's governor signed into law SB 579 (the "Act"), on June 8, 2016, establishing new telemedicine practice standards, including explicitly allowing a valid physician-patient relationship to be established via telemedicine…more
New Legislation, Patients, Physicians, Standard of Care, Telemedicine
On October 1, 2015, Japan commences application of its business-to-consumer ("B2C") ecommerce consumption tax ("JCT"), analogous to the EU electronic services VAT which commenced January 1 of this year. The JCT will require…more
Amazon, Consumption Tax, De Minimus Quantity Exemption, E-Commerce, Electronics
As the automotive industry rebounds from its recessionary levels to an all time record level of spending on vehicles and healthy profitability, one of the key drivers of the increased vehicles sales has been increased innovation…more
Auto Manufacturers, Automotive Industry, Connected Cars, Cross-Border, Discovery
On August 5, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) finalized rules requiring publicly traded companies to disclose the ratio of median compensation of all employees to the compensation of the principal executive…more
CEOs, Disclosure Requirements, Dodd-Frank, Executive Compensation, Final Rules
Foley's Automotive Industry Team has prepared this overview of the major trends we see affecting automotive suppliers this year. While not all legal risk can be anticipated, companies that are aware of litigation, enforcement,…more
ADA, Antitrust Provisions, Auto Manufacturers, Auto Parts, Automobile Recall
On January 1, 2014, California's Beverly-Killea Limited Liability Company Act ("Old Act") was superseded by the California Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act ("New Act"). California legislators were concerned that the…more
Articles of Incorporation, Limited Liability Companies, LLC, Operating Agreements, RULLCA
You know it's Fall when the leaves turn color, jack-o-lanterns wink in the twilight, the World Series plays on … and the IRS announces new indexed annual limits for employee benefit plans. Sticking to tradition, the IRS recently…more
COLA, Flexible Spending Accounts, Fringe Benefits, Health Insurance, IRS
On May 1, 2013, Governor Rick Scott signed into law House Bill 569 (HB569), which enacts sweeping changes to Florida's campaign finance laws. The changes will affect every elected official as well as any person who makes…more
Campaign Contributions, Campaign Finance Reform, Political Contributions
For the past few years, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has been on the warpath over employer personnel policies (and in turn, we at Labor & Employment Law Perspectives have missed few opportunities to point out the…more
Chilling Effect, Confidentiality Policies, Conflicts of Interest, Employer Liability Issues, NLRA
The Federal Trade Commission recently announced it has settled claims against 12 companies relating to charges the companies falsely claimed they were abiding by the U.S. – EU Safe Harbor program that enables U.S. companies to…more
Compliance, Data Brokers, Debt Collection, EU, FTC
New Hampshire has doubled the caps on energy that both residential and commercial customer-generators of rooftop solar can sell back to the grid, raising the cap from 50 MW to 100 MW. The governor signed H.B. 1116, which was…more
Energy Policy, Governor Hassan, Net Metering, New Legislation, Public Utilities Commission
For the first time since 1970, the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is updating its sex discrimination guidelines for federal contractors. These updates, announced last week, will…more
Disparate Impact, Federal Contractors, Final Rules, Gender Identity, Gender-Based Pay Discrimination
Since their introduction, inter partes review ("IPR") proceedings have had a close association with district court litigation. Indeed, litigation defendants are often the petitioners who initiate IPR proceedings. Therefore, the…more
Estoppel, Inter Partes Review Proceedings, ITC, Patent Invalidity, Patent Litigation
Last week, President Obama threatened to veto an agreement between Senate Democrats and House Republicans on a collection of tax breaks known as "tax extenders." The deal would have been a huge win for manufacturing, because it…more
Barack Obama, Corporate Taxes, Manufacturers, Tax Extenders, Tax Incentives
On April 2, 2015, the USPTO published its final rules to implement the Hague Agreement Concerning International Registration of Industrial Designs (Hague Agreement), with an effective date of May 13, 2015. The Hague Agreement…more
Design Patent, Hague Agreement, Patents, USPTO
Foley's Green Energy Technologies (GET) team has released its latest annual analysis of the water technology landscape titled "2013 Water Technology U.S. Patent Landscape Annual Report."
The 2013 Report was created by…more
Groundwater, Licenses, Patents, Technology, Water
In 2008, the Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission ruled that the following categories of computerized medical equipment are exempt from property tax:
- Ultrasound equipment
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)…more
Exemptions, Medical Devices, MRI, Property Tax
Yes. You do. That was easy. But perhaps we have gotten ahead of ourselves and we should start at the beginning of the story. While Section 409A is a tax provision, its genesis was the perceived abuse of deferred compensation…more
Executive Compensation, Golden Parachutes, Safe Harbors, Section 409A, Valuation
On February 20, 2014, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals issued an opinion interpreting the meaning of "mortgage banker" under Wis. Stat. § 224.71(3) and finding that a mortgage holder was entitled to the priority afforded under…more
Banks, Construction Contracts, Construction Liens, Mortgages
Employers served with an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) subpoena requesting private employee information – regardless of its arguable relevance – may nevertheless be compelled to respond, according to a decision…more
EEOC, Employee Privacy Rights, Gender Discrimination, Government Investigations, Pay Discrimination
Entering into business with the U.S. Government provides companies, including those in the automotive industry, with the opportunity to expand their business base, with tremendous potential. Even with the current budget cuts and…more
Automotive Industry, Federal Budget, Federal Contractors, Sequestration
The Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) has recently published a guidebook on Renewable Energy as an Airport Revenue Source. The link to the guidebook on the ACRP website is here. Foley partner David Bannard is a…more
Airports, Biomass, Geothermal Energy, Guide, Renewable Energy
Supply agreements serve as the lifeblood of many manufacturing companies. These agreements outline the terms and conditions controlling the supply of goods and services between various parties. Without this framework, many…more
Corporate Counsel, Manufacturers, Supply Agreements, Supply Chain
When Rebecca Bradley was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in October, the question arose what role she would play in cases argued this term before her appointment. Specifically, if the Court were otherwise split 3-3 on a…more
Disclosure, Drivers, Personally Identifiable Information, Petitions for Review, Public Records
To support the National Cancer Moonshot initiative, the USPTO has launched the Patents 4 Patients program, also known as the Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program. Under this program, applicants can obtain expedited examination of…more
National Cancer Moonshot, Patent Applications, Patent Prosecution, Patents, Request for Continued Examination
On August 22, 2016, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Rev. Proc. 2016-44, which provides new guidance on the treatment of "management contracts" for purposes of the restrictions on use of property financed with…more
501(c)(3), Anti-Abuse Rule, IRS, Leases, Management Contracts
As government mandates like Corporate Average Fuel Economy targets make electric cars more attractive to manufacturers looking to meet these standards, it is worth asking how consumers are responding to these vehicles as they…more
Auto Manufacturers, Automotive Industry, Electric Vehicles, Fuel Standards, Rebates
Today in In re Cuozzo Speed Technologies, LLC, No. 14-1301, a majority (Judges Dyk and Clevenger) affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's (PTAB) decision to deem certain claims of a speed limit indicator patent unpatentable…more
America Invents Act, Claim Construction, Cuozzo Speed Technologies, Inter Partes Review Proceedings, Mandamus Petitions
In furtherance of California's commitment to renewable solar energy, the California Senate and Assembly recently passed Senate Bill 871 (SB 871) which, if signed, would extend the sunset date on the existing property tax…more
Energy, Exclusions, New Legislation, Property Tax, Solar Energy
Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) updated its guidelines for disclosures in digital media, ".Com Disclosures: How to Make Effective Disclosures in Digital Advertising" (Guide). The Guide, which updates a…more
After four years of internal deliberations, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) recently issued a policy memorandum binding all USCIS personnel to follow the reasoning of a 2013 USCIS Administrative Appeals Office…more
Administrative Appeal Office, Corporate Executives, Employee Transfers, Foreign Affiliates, L-1A
After years of decisions, the issues surrounding the preservation of electronically stored information (ESI) seem almost old hat. It is well known that, upon notice of a claim or commencement of litigation, a party needs to…more
Corporate Executives, Document Productions, Duty to Preserve, Electronically Stored Information, Email
On March 1, 2013, the Provider Reimbursement Review Board (PRRB or the Board) issued Alert 9, which notified interested parties that the PRRB has made revisions to its Rules and updated its Model Forms. Medicare providers that…more
CMS, Medicare, PRRB, Reimbursements
On October 21, 2015, the Ninth Circuit ruled that online retailer Amazon does not violate the Lanham Act when, in response to a search for a brand it doesn't sell, it returns a results page that fails to disclose that fact and…more
Amazon, Brand, En Banc Review, Internet Retailers, Keyword Search
In Amgen v. Apotex, the Federal Circuit held that under the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act ("BPCIA"), "an applicant must provide a reference product sponsor with 180 days' post-licensure notice before commercial…more
Amgen, ANDA, Apotex, Biosimilars, BPCIA
In Synopsys, Inc. v. Mentor Graphics Corp., a split panel of the Federal Circuit found "that there is no statutory requirement that the Board's final decision address every claim raised in a petition for inter partes review."…more
Estoppel, Inter Partes Review Proceedings, Patent Invalidity, Patent Litigation, Patent Trial and Appeal Board
The Request for Proposal (RFP) is a critical document in a build-to-suit (BTS) transaction, but often does not get the attention it deserves. In addition to laying out the project scope, the RFP is the tenant's opportunity to…more
Build-to-Suit, Commercial Leases, Commercial Property Owners, Commercial Real Estate Market, Commercial Tenants
On March 19, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit decided Grede v. FCStone, LLC, Nos. 13-1232, 13-1278 (7th Cir. Mar. 19, 2014), an opinion that reinforces the importance of the portability of investment…more
CFTC, Commodities, Commodities Exchange Act, Commodity Futures Contracts, Commodity Pool
On June 22, 2016, President Obama signed the "Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act" into law, making comprehensive changes to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This step comes after years of…more
Administrative Authority, Chemicals, Disclosure Requirements, EPA, Health and Safety
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a joint set of greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards for new medium and heavy-duty vehicles and…more
Auto Manufacturers, Climate Action Plan, EPA, Fuel Standards, Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Legal News: Eye on China Quarterly Newsletter offers companies helpful insight as they successfully navigate China's complex and ever-changing legal and regulatory environment. In this issue, we focus on the following…more
Anti-Bribery, Anti-Corruption, China, Compliance, Copyright
In This Chapter:
Tax Law: Annual Survey of Wisconsin Law -
- Case Law
- Statutory Developments
- Administrative Developments
- Excerpt from Case Law:
Individual and Fiduciary Income Tax…more
401k, Corporate Taxes, Department of Revenue, Earned Income Tax, Fiduciary Duty
Question: What can you do when you suspect that opposing counsel engaged in inappropriate witness coaching during a PTAB deposition? Answer: Ask the witness about the suspected off-the-record discussions and call the Board from…more
Best Practices, Depositions, Patent Trial and Appeal Board, Witnesses
General Motors has announced that Effective July 15, 2013, its general terms and conditions for direct material, customer care & aftersales (CCA) and tooling purchases are changing…more
Compliance, General Motors, Terms and Conditions
As highlighted in the SEC's 2012 Municipal Market Report, the SEC has expressed significant concern that many issuers have not been complying with their obligation to file continuing disclosure documents and that federal…more
Deadlines, Disclosure Requirements, EMMA, Enforcement, MCDC
We have suggested before that employers should view non-competition and other restrictive agreements as "live" documents, warranting regular examination to ensure they are deployed with appropriate precision and account for…more
Amended Legislation, Confidentiality Agreements, Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA), Immunity, New Legislation
On January 12, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held in Stratte-McClure v. Morgan Stanley that a failure to make a required disclosure under Item 303 of Regulation S-K in a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q is…more
Appeals, Collateralized Debt Obligations, Credit Default Swaps, Disclosure Requirements, Form 10-Q
Every week, courts around the United States issue decisions addressing aspects of civil UDAAP claims. In an effort to illuminate the UDAAP standards, below is a sampling of some of this week's UDAAP decisions on the meaning of…more
Debt Collection, Debt Collectors, False Statements, FDCPA, UDAAP
A number of amendments to Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code ("UCC") went into effect in many states on July 1, 2013. Similar amendments are pending in a number of other states…more
Article 9, Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)
Oncology providers and payors are undertaking bold initiatives to transform our system of "sick" care into a component of the value-based system of the future. The evolving system focuses on proactively monitoring and…more
Alternative Payment Models (APM), Cancer, CMMI, Medicare, Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR)
In an April 10, 2014, decision that expressly overruled its own 15-year old precedent, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has held that the owner of a building used as a place for a large number of people to gather will be…more
Building Codes, Building Standards, Strict Liability
No one running an ambulance company ever planned to go to prison for doing his or her job. But that is a real possibility if the government knocks on the door, and the owner or manager is dishonest in his or her response to the…more
Ambulance Providers, Audits, CMS, False Statements, FBI
A liability insurance policy generally imposes two duties on the insurer: (1) a duty to indemnify the insured against claims that are covered by the policy, up to the policy limits; and (2) a duty to defend the insured against…more
Breach of Duty, Commercial General Liability Policies, Duty to Defend, Indemnification, Insurance Litigation
The National Labor Relation Board's new election procedures became effective April 14, 2015. You may recall that the new rules were largely designed to shorten significantly the time between a union's filing of a petition for…more
Complaint Procedures, Employee Benefits, NLRB, Supervisors, Training
In the last few years, Congress, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the courts have significantly increased their efforts to grapple with insider trading in the realm of political intelligence. In 2012,…more
Compliance, Insider Trading, Material Nonpublic Information, Political Intelligence, SEC
On Monday July 25, 2016, CMS proposed new models that expand mandatory participation in bundled payments and continue CMS's initiative to shift Medicare payments from fee for service to alternative payment models. Coming just as…more
Bundled Payments, CMS, Hospitals, Medicare, Proposed Rules
The world of private investment funds has been evolving to address the specific goals and expectations of investors, including pension plan sponsors and other investors with specific regulatory and economic needs. As a result,…more
Carried Interest, Clawbacks, Financial Reporting, Investment Management, Investors
With the increasing level of investment in emerging companies, entrepreneurs are being presented with a wider range of financing documents. One of the relatively newer financing instruments is the "SAFE" (simple agreement for…more
Conversion, Convertible Debt, Early Stage Companies, Emerging Growth Companies, Equity Financing
Many employers who have read about the U.S. Supreme Court's recent affirmative action decision are wondering what impact, if any, the ruling will have on them. After all, the main issue in that case was the propriety of a…more
Affirmative Action, College Admissions, Diversity, Federal Contractors, Fisher v University of Texas
To the surprise of many, California Governor Jerry Brown has vetoed the proposed changes to California's franchise laws that were discussed in our Client Alert on August 28, 2014. In his veto message, Governor Brown criticized…more
Franchise Agreements, Franchises, Legislative Vetoes
A recent federal court decision raises concerns about the ability of companies to maintain privilege over materials generated in connection with internal investigations. The case, United States ex rel. Barko v. Halliburton…more
Corporate Counsel, Halliburton, Internal Investigations, Investigations, Qui Tam
As your company wrestles with how to manage the virtual mountains of electronically stored information (ESI) that are created in today's workplace, you may continue to wonder what steps to take to preserve information when…more
Duty to Preserve, Electronically Stored Information, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, FRCP 37(e), Litigation Hold
In LifeNet Health v. LifeCell Corporation, one of the many issues the Federal Circuit decided was that functional claim language did not create a divided infringement situation, even though an independent actor could impact…more
Appeals, Divided Infringement, Functionality, Indefiniteness, JMOL
Even as experts are signaling caution in their outlook for the automotive sector, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is lowering its forecast of economic growth for this year.
In its April 2016 report, the IMF reduced…more
Automotive Industry, China, Commodities, Emerging Markets, EU
In a town that is no stranger to landmark hospital merger cases, last month a Chicago federal judge denied the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) motion for a preliminary injunction to temporarily block a merger between…more
Antitrust Litigation, Burden of Proof, Competition, FTC, Healthcare Reform
Today, February 13, 2015, the United States deposited with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) its instrument of accession to the Hague Agreement Concerning International Registration of Industrial Designs (the…more
Design Patent, Hague Agreement, Industrial Design, Patents, USPTO
When faced with questions from a government investigator, a person's silence can now be used in a criminal trial against the person who was questioned and declined to provide an answer…more
Admissibility, Criminal Prosecution, Evidence, Jury Trial, SCOTUS
Within the past year, one Wisconsin resident has filed several class-action lawsuits against Wisconsin employers. In each case, the resident claimed that the targeted employers were using improper disclosures in employment…more
Background Checks, Class Action, Corporate Counsel, Disclosure Requirements, Employer Liability Issues
According to the research, manufacturers are on the move. The questions and considerations listed below are a great starting point for any company opening or relocating a manufacturing facility…more
Manufacturers, Manufacturing Facilities
In a widely awaited opinion, the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago has issued an opinion which affects the scope of government enforcement actions and which purchasers may pursue private civil treble damage…more
Antitrust Provisions, Appeals, Cartels, Enforcement Actions, FTAIA
The call for dramatic improvements in America's infrastructure as a critical driver in the reestablishment of the nation's manufacturing supremacy is building momentum. But that's only part of the story. Lost is the real…more
Critical Infrastructure Sectors, DHS, Infrastructure, Manufacturers, National Security
Last month the EEOC's Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace issued a long-awaited report. That report is a four-part, 88-page document — meaning digesting the report is a hefty task. Fortunately, the Task…more
Anti-Harassment Policies, Bystander, Civility, EEO, EEOC
Building a startup in Chicago differs from building one in Silicon Valley. Chicago investors, both individuals and committed venture funds, tend to be more reserved and practical, whereas coastal venture investors are more…more
Capital Raising, City of Chicago, Entrepreneurs, Investors, Revenue
On June 18, 2014, a divided panel of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ("TTAB") ordered cancellation of six of the Washington Redskins' trademark registrations holding that "Redskins" was a…more
Blackhorse v Pro-Football, Disparagement, Football, Laches, Native American Issues
The SEC's equity crowdfunding rules finally go into effect this month almost four years after Congress passed the JOBS Act, requiring the relaxing of certain rules on raising funds. So what does equity crowdfunding actually look…more
Accredited Investors, Capital Raising, Crowdfunding, Disclosure Requirements, Filing Requirements
Complying with the law is only the starting point when making sound and legally defensible employment decisions, such as discipline, terminations, denying accommodations, and so forth. Have you ever heard of a company that made…more
Compliance, Employer Liability Issues
Almost every business today has a website, which can be accessed by anyone in the world with an Internet connection. If the business provides for targeted advertising on its website, based upon the location of the person who…more
Advertising, Due Process, Foreign Entities, Foreseeability, Long Arm Statute
On October 26, 2014, 60 Minutes aired a story called "Breeding Out Disease" that included a segment about GenePeeks, a company that uses genetic information from prospective parents to make thousands of "digital babies" and…more
CLS Bank v Alice Corp, Genetic Materials, Genetic Services, Patent-Eligible Subject Matter, Patents
After several weeks of legislative wrangling, congressional leaders will send a bill to President Obama this week to give him fast-track authority to negotiate a trade deal that will potentially govern 40 percent of U.S. imports…more
Barack Obama, Exports, Foreign Trade Regulations, Imports, Obama Administration
On April 2, the United States Supreme Court released its much-anticipated decision in McCutcheon v. FEC, 572 U.S. __ (2014). The case was closely watched because it presented the Court the opportunity to revisit the framework of…more
Federal Election Commission (FEC), McCutcheon v. FEC, Political Campaigns, Political Contributions, SCOTUS
Americans with secret accounts in Belize should take notice: the government is looking for you. The U.S. Department of Justice on September 15 filed a petition in federal court in Miami seeking permission to issue summonses to…more
Bank of America, Bank Secrecy Act, Citibank, Civil Monetary Penalty, Criminal Penalties
In a rare display of bipartisanship, the U.S. Congress has passed and, on September 24, 2015, President Obama signed, an amendment of the federal statute regulating warranties on consumer products, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty –…more
Amended Legislation, Barack Obama, eDisclosure, FTC, Magnuson-Moss Act
Private golf clubs are facing a tidal wave of challenges, from the prolonged economic downturn, to an aging population unable to continue playing the game, to a general decline in demand for golf, to financial hardships facing…more
Golf, Golf Courses
New Rules Open Opportunities for Exports, Financial Services, and Travel-
On January 16, 2014, the U.S. Treasury Department issued new sanctions regulations easing the 54-year old Cuban embargo. Coming in the wake of the…more
Amended Regulation, Banking Sector, Barack Obama, BIS, Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR)
On January 17, 2013, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued its Final Policy Statement regarding the allocation of capacity on new merchant and non-incumbent, cost-based, participant-funded transmission projects…more
Capacity Allocation, Compliance, Discrimination, Electricity, FERC
In a recent March 19, 2015 decision, the Illinois Supreme Court refused to acknowledge the self-critical analysis privilege. This recent discussion underscores the need to understand the different standards for the privilege in…more
Child Protective Services, Federal Jurisdiction, IL Supreme Court, Jurisdiction, Self-Critical Analysis Privilege
Arbitration, China, Counterfeiting, Discovery, Enforcement
The Appeal by Cuozzo Speed Technologies -
On June 20, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Cuozzo Speed v. Lee, affirming the Federal Circuit's prior ruling on an appeal taken from the Patent Trial and Appeal…more
America Invents Act, Appeals, Broadest Reasonable Interpretation Standard, Claim Construction, Cuozzo Speed Technologies
Do your energy costs keep you up at night? Do aging systems keep your utility spend high while other needs draw scarce capital resources? You are not alone. Major HVAC, lighting and other upgrades can be capital intensive with a…more
Clean Energy, Commercial Property Owners, Energy Efficiency, Financing, Manufacturing Facilities
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology ("ONC") of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") recently released Version 2.0 of the Guide to Privacy and Security of Electronic Health…more
EHR, Health Care Providers, HIPAA, HITECH, ONC
On August 19th, the USPTO released a new set of proposed rules related to post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Among the many offered rules was the addition of a "Rule 11-type certification"…more
Abuse of Process, America Invents Act, Generic Drugs, Hedge Funds, Inter Partes Review Proceedings
On July 8, 2016, the Article 31 Committee, comprised of representatives of the European Union (EU) member states, voted to approve a revised Privacy Shield framework that is intended to replace the Safe Harbor framework…more
Binding Corporate Rules, Data Protection Authority, EU, EU-US Privacy Shield, European Commission
Trade dress is a type of trademark intellectual property right that can protect almost any unique identifying aesthetic design used by a company, from the shape of a product, to the appearance of a website, to the decor of a…more
Burden of Proof, Dismissals, Inherently Distinctive, Intellectual Property Protection, Likelihood of Confusion
It's common in the healthcare industry for large insurers to negotiate discounts from pharmacies for prescription drugs. The federal government, the granddaddy of all insurers, does this too, when it negotiates discounts on…more
Assignments, False Claims Act (FCA), Health Insurance, Healthcare, Medicaid
The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice Antitrust Division held their second public workshop on health care competition on February 24-25, 2015. The workshop is part of the FTC and DOJ's commitment to periodically…more
Antitrust Division, DOJ, FTC, Healthcare, Regulatory Agenda
When predictive coding technology made its way into the public consciousness in or about 2011, the biggest barrier to its widespread use – and probably the second most common question for attorneys following these issues, right…more
Complex Litigation, Document Review, Predictive Coding
On January 17, 2013, FERC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) that would revise the pro forma Small Generator Interconnection Procedures (SGIP) and Small Generator Interconnection Agreement (SGIA) in order to lessen…more
Electricity, Fast Track Process, FERC, SGIA, SGIP
On August 1, 2016, Massachusetts became the first state to bar employers from asking job applicants about their salary history before making a formal job offer that includes compensation. Under the new law, employers may not…more
Affirmative Defenses, Anti-Pay Secrecy, Equal Pay, Gender Equity, Gender-Based Pay Discrimination
Laboratory developed test (LDT) providers, previously exempt from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight, under a new FDA proposal, must now consider if their LDTs constitute moderate-risk (Class II) or high-risk…more
510(k) RTA, CLIA, Clinical Laboratories, Diagnostic Tests, Due Diligence
Chicago startups have more local funding options than ever before. However, many founders remain hungry to obtain funding from elsewhere—especially from the venture-rich east and west coasts. Trouble is, for reasons both…more
Business Valuations, City of Chicago, Emerging Technology Companies, Entrepreneurs, Investors
With a competitive marketplace, new technology companies may find that they need more capital to accelerate their company's growth. The question becomes how to effectively approach investors outside the company's geographical…more
Capital Raising, City of Chicago, Due Diligence, Investors, Revenue
The Legislature returns on January 14, 2014 for a flurry of session days before final adjournment on April 3, 2014. With the biennial budget and many other GOP big ticket items passed, the agenda this spring will include no bold…more
Political Campaigns, Political Debates, Public Policy
March 30, 2015, is the opening day of the "sunrise" period for registration of domain names in the .SUCKS top-level domain (TLD). Unlike other recently created TLDs, which are typically oriented toward either particular…more
Domain Names, gTLD, ICANN, Trademark Clearinghouse, Trademarks
As we reported previously, enforcement of equal pay laws and remedying of pay disparities continue to be top priorities for the U.S.Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and U.S. Office of Federal Contract Compliance…more
Attorney-Client Privilege, Comment Period, Data Collection, Disparate Treatment, EEO-1
More consumer credit and leasing transactions will be subject to the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Consumer Leasing Act (CLA) in 2015.
Effective January 1, 2015, the dollar threshold for exemption of most consumer…more
Dodd-Frank, Exemptions, Regulation M, Regulation Z, Truth in Lending Act (TILA)
Investment Advisers — Are Your "IA Reps" Registered as Required? Why You Should Care -
As we approach the end of the calendar year, it is a good time for investment advisers to check if all of its personnel who are…more
Chief Compliance Officers, Compliance, Enforcement, Enforcement Actions, Hedge Funds
On April 13, 2016, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a concept release discussing and requesting public comment on the business and financial disclosure required by Regulation S-K. The concept release…more
Comment Period, Disclosure Requirements, Investors, JOBS Act, Mary Jo White
As part of President Obama's regulatory lookback initiative, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule last week (the "Rule") that overhauled numerous staffing regulations affecting hospitals and…more
Affordable Care Act, CMS, Executive Orders, Healthcare, Healthcare Reform
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology ("ONC") has operationalized regulatory requirements to improve transparency in health information technology ("health IT"). The regulations, which were…more
Corrective Actions, Health Information Technologies, Health IT, ONC, Regulatory Mandates
The SEC recently has encouraged "sustainability" shareholder proposals under Rule 14a-8. In their December 2013 INSIGHTS article, Foley attorneys Patrick Daugherty and Daniel Pieringer discuss strategies for manufacturers to…more
Manufacturers, SEC, Shareholder Activism
Business is booming for plaintiffs' attorneys wielding the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The TCPA restricts unsolicited telemarketing by fax, voice calls and text messages. Violations can trigger liability of at…more
Commercial General Liability Policies, Corporate Counsel, D&O Insurance, Insurance Litigation, Invasion of Privacy
In what is believed to be the first case nationwide seeking to strike down a groundbreaking corporate bylaw aimed at combatting frivolous shareholder class actions, Emergent Capital, Inc., has secured the dismissal with…more
Board of Directors, Bylaws, Class Action, Corporate Counsel, Corporate Officers
The Hispanic National Bar Association ("HNBA") will gather for its annual corporate counsel conference on March 17, 2016 in Las Vegas, where presentations and discussion will focus on technology and cybersecurity issues that…more
Automotive Industry, Corporate Counsel, Cyber Insurance, Cybersecurity, Disruptive Technology
The Supreme Court recently granted certiorari in Life Techs. Corp. v. Promega Corp., 14-1538, to resolve: "[w]hether a supplier can be held liable for providing 'all or a substantial portion of the components of a patented…more
Component Parts Doctrine, Corporate Counsel, Damages, DNA, Evidence
In a precedential decision issued last week, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) cancelled a registration because it was based on an intent-to-use (ITU) application that had been the subject of an intra-corporate…more
Assignments, Intent-to-Use, Trademarks, USPTO
The voters in Great Britain caught the world off guard by voting to leave the European Union (EU) after over 40 years of membership. However, after the vote, the questions immediately started. Leaving the EU is governed by a…more
EU, Foreign Nationals, Free Movement, Immigration Reform, International Labor Laws
A distinguished panel of providers, consultants and IT firms convened on Tuesday, June 21st in New York at the Foley and Lardner LLP offices to share a discussion focused on the convergence of IT spend and new value based…more
Alternative Payment Models (APM), CMS, Fraud and Abuse, Health Care Providers, Health Information Technologies
The October 1, 2013 deadline for providing employees with a notice of their coverage options through the newly established public health insurance exchanges (referred to as the "Marketplace") is quickly approaching. This news…more
Affordable Care Act, Deadlines, DOL, FLSA, Health Insurance Exchanges


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By 1648 Archbishop William Laud was long dead and the Arminians were far from power, but, in the view of John Owen, variations on their doctrine of salvation remained a threat. He had made his name by attacking Arminian doctrine in his first published work, A Display of Arminianism (1643). He followed this up with The Death of Death in the Death of Christ (Works x. 139-428) designed to promote limited atonement over against universal redemption – the new face of Arminianism. The issue rested on one central question: did Christ die for all people, or for the elect only (those individuals whom God had chosen for salvation before the beginning of the world)? Owen defended the Calvinist position – against …
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Cooper, Tim. "The Death of Death in the Death of Christ". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 November 2008
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=25292, accessed 29 September 2016.]

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office tote
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from Midland, Michigan
Comments about Levenger Executive Office Tote:
This is the best purchase I have made for myself. I love the Levenger quality, it is perfect for every function I will require of it.
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I received this item two weeks ago and was very pleased. The interior is roomy and allows me to better organize all my paperwork when I travel to meetings. The leather is smooth to the touch.
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I am a nursing student and needed a sturdy bag for my notebook and laptop. I absolutely love this bag because it has perfect storage and stands alone (empty or full). It is comfortable to carry when full. The quality of workmanship lives up to Levenger's standard and reputation. This will be a bag I use for many years to come.
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text: An airplane is flying through a thundercloud at a height of 2 000 m. (This is a very dangerous thing to do because of updrafts, turbulence, and the possibility of electric discharge.) If there is a charge concentration of +40 C at height 3 000 m within the cloud and -40 C at height 1 000 m, what is the magnitude of the electric field E at the aircraft? (ke = 8.99 × 109 N·m2/C2)


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Remington® Bark Control Electronic Dog Training Collar
Item # WX2-227179SOLD OUT
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text:
Top Definition
Facetious term for a vacuum tube. The term is a parody of "MOSFET" (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), and is used jovially by vacuum tube enthusiasts.
See also: hollow state
See also: hollow state
This transmitting station uses state-of-the-art glassFET amplifiers.
автор: Rexar 15 февраля 2006
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|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|May 31, 2011
|Priority date
|Jul 17, 2006
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Rajmohan Bhandari, Sandeep Negi, Florian Solzbacher, Richard A. Normann
|Original Assignee
|University Of Utah Research Foundation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (6), Non-Patent Citations (4), Referenced by (6), Classifications (14), Legal Events (3)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application claims the benefit of and hereby incorporates by reference U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/831,557, filed Jul. 17, 2006, and entitled "An Integrated Wireless Neural Interface for Chronic Recording and Stimulation."
This application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/807,763, entitled "MASKING HIGH ASPECT-RATIO STRUCTURES", and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/807,766, entitled "MICRO-NEEDLE ARRAYS HAVING NON-PLANAR TIPS AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF", each of which is filed concurrently herewith and are hereby incorporated by reference.
This invention was made with government support by the National Institutes of Health under Contract No. HHSN265200423621C and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under Award No. 908164. The government has certain rights to this invention.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to needle array devices and methods of fabrication.
2. Related Art
The potential for implanting electronic devices into patients with direct interface to the neural system is vast. Systems which may enable paraplegics to regain control of their bladder or limbs, provide vision for the blind, or restore vocal cord function are all under development, and promising initial results have been obtained in some experiments.
A key component of some implantable systems is a needle array to enable interfacing of the electronics with a neuron or directly into brain tissue. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,088 to Normann et al. discloses a three-dimensional electrode device which can be used as a neural or cortical implant. The device of Norman, also known as the Utah Electrode Array (UEA), can be used to provide a neural interface to electronic equipment for sensing and/or stimulation. Alternative approaches for fabricating similar devices are known, but require a large number of masking steps which also slows down production and increases cost of manufacture.
While the UEA has been in experimental use for a number of years, fabrication techniques have been relatively unrefined. Fortunately, demand for the UEA has been limited to experimental use, so few devices are needed. With greater experimental usage, and the eventual possibility for production level requirements, existing fabrication techniques may provide inadequate quality, repeatability, and throughput.
Briefly, and in general terms, the invention is directed to techniques for wafer-scale fabrication of needle arrays. In one embodiment, the invention includes a method for wafer-scale fabrication of needle arrays. The method may include mechanically modifying a provided wafer to produce a plurality of vertically-extending columns. The vertically-extending columns are etched under conditions suitable to produce a plurality of substantially uniformly shaped needles from the plurality of vertically-extending columns. After etching, the wafer can be separated into a plurality of individual needle arrays. Needle arrays manufactured by this method can provide improved uniformity of the needle geometry (e.g. width and length).
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention; and, wherein:
It will be understood that these figures are provided merely for convenience in describing the invention and are drawn for purposes of clarity rather than scale (other than the micrographs). As such, actual dimensions may, and likely will, deviate from those illustrated in terms of relative dimensions, contours, and the like. For example,
In describing embodiments of the present invention, the following terminology will be used.
The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a needle" includes reference to one or more of such needles and "etching" includes one or more of such steps.
As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary.
Concentrations, amounts, and other numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of "50-250 micrometers should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 50 micrometers and 250 micrometers, but also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 60, 70, and 80 micrometers, and sub-ranges such as from 50-100 micrometers, from 100-200, and from 100-250 micrometers, etc. This same principle applies to ranges reciting only one numerical value and should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics being described.
As used herein, the term "about" means that dimensions, sizes, formulations, parameters, shapes and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact, but may be approximated and/or larger or smaller, as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like and other factors known to those of skill. Further, unless otherwise stated, the term "about" shall expressly include "exactly," consistent with the discussion above regarding ranges and numerical data.
As mentioned above, needle arrays, such as the Utah Electrode Array (UEA) have been the subject of experimental use. Because production of UEAs has been limited to date, there has been little need investigate means for mass producing the UEA device. Accordingly, fabrication of the UEA to date has been one array at a time. This process is time consuming, and has yielded less consistency in results that desired.
An improved method of fabricating needle arrays, such as the UEA, has been developed which can be performed on a wafer-scale. Benefits of the improved method include fast throughput and more consistent needle shape in the finished products.
In an embodiment, the method includes providing a wafer from which the needle array is to be constructed. The wafer can be, for example, a mono-crystalline silicon wafer. Mono-crystalline silicon wafers are typically cut from a single crystal silicon ingot, for example as for integrated circuit manufacturing. It will be appreciated that the silicon wafer need not be perfectly single crystal, as most semiconductor grade silicon wafers contain a small number of defects of various types. Other wafer materials that can be used include ceramic material, polymers, or any other material having sufficient mechanical strength and capacity to form array features on the scale discussed.
The method further includes mechanically modifying the wafer to produce a plurality of vertically extending columns, for example as illustrated in
As can be seen in
The method of the present invention also includes etching the wafer to reshape the vertically-extending columns under conditions suitable to produce a plurality of substantially uniformly shaped needles from the vertically-extending columns. For example, etching can be performed using a dynamic etch to round the columns and a static etch to form points at the tips of the columns. Suitable etching solutions can include, but are not limited to, mixtures of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid, TMAH, or any other etchant suitable for controlled etching of the material forming the columns.
Dynamic etching can be performed by placing the wafer into a holder and immersing the wafer in an etching solution. The holder can be constructed of a material which is resistant to the etching solution, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (e.g. Teflon�) or other polymers. The holder can include a gasket to help prevent contact between the back side of the wafer and the etching solution. The immersed wafer is rotated in one direction, while a stirrer stirs the etching solution in an opposite direction to provide aggressive and continuous flow of fresh etching solution into the dicing kerfs.
For example, as shown in
Time duration and rotation rates to provide uniform etching were determined experimentally. For a 3 inch wafer, having columns of 250 micrometers on a side, dynamic etching was performed in an etching solution of 5% hydrofluoric (49% conc) and 95% nitric acid (69% conc). A 7.5 inch diameter basis and a 3 inch long stirring bar were used. The rate of etching is approximately linear with time. Etching is faster at the convex corners of the columns, helping to round the shape of the columns. Accordingly, an etching time of about 4 minutes reduces the square columns to rounded column. Rotation rates of the wafer holder and the stirrer bar can affect the uniformity of the etched columns. For the conditions described above, the wafer holder can be rotated clockwise at about 22 revolutions per minute (rpm) while the stirrer bar is counter rotated at about 500 rpm to provide needle width uniformity of about 2% as described further below. Spacing between the wafer and the stirrer can be about two inches, although a range of about 1.5 to 2 inches, or more particularly, about 1 to 3 inches appears to provide consistent results. The total volume of acid used to etch a 3-inch wafer during dynamic etching was 1494 ml while for static etching it was 747 ml. These parameters can be adjusted and optimized for a particular configuration of columns and materials.
The static etching can be performed by inverting the holder to position the wafer columns in an upward direction and placing the wafer into etchant solution which is not stirred. In the static etching, the etching at the tips of the columns is faster than near the bases, because little fluid motion is present to replenish etching solution near to bottoms of the kerfs. This preferentially shapes the columns into needles. Using the same etching solution as described above, static etching can be performed for about 8 minutes although other times may also be suitable. By varying the dynamic and/or static etching time, the geometry of electrode can be varied. The shapes can range from cylindrical, to pen shape, to conical.
Additional processing steps can be performed to deposit electrically conductive material onto the needles to provide a low impedance electrical connection from the tissue in which the needle array is inserted to the needle body. The coating may be, for example, one or more metals, designed to adhere to the needle body and provide an Ohmic contact between the metal and the needle body. The coating helps to provide a stable interface when inserted in vivo. For example, for silicon micro-needles, a metal stack of iridium over platinum over titanium has found to provide good performance. For example, about 50 nanometers of titanium, following by about 240 nanometers of platinum, followed by about 100 nanometers of iridium were deposited by sputtering. The titanium provides an adhesion layer to the silicon needle body, the platinum provides a diffusion barrier, and the iridium when converted to iridium oxide provides a stable low-impedance electric interface when inserted in vivo. Iridium can be converted to iridium oxide by electrochemical activation. Electrical contacts can also be placed in the back side of the needle array.
Other coating can be used, including for example combinations of titanium and iridium, platinum and iridium, or even direct sputtering in oxygen plasma of iridium oxide directly onto the silicon needle tips.
The micro-needle array may be encapsulated in a non-conductive, non-reactive material to help improve compatibility in vivo. For example, materials can include parylene-C, silicon carbide, and/or silicone. Parylene-C can, for example, be deposited by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition. It will be appreciated that the tips can be left unencapsulated to allow electric contact between the micro-needles and the tissue into which the array is inserted. For example, the tips may be masked prior to the encapsulation. Alternately, the entire needles may be encapsulated, and then the non-conductive, non-reactive material removed from the tip portions.
Various ways of removing the encapsulation from the tips can be used. For example, reactive ion etching using inductively coupled oxygen plasma can be performed. Masking of the lower portion of the needles can be provided by filling the electrode array with photo resist until all electrodes are submerged in the photo resist. After curing the photo resist, the plasma etching removes the photo resist starting from the tips, and as the parylene coated electrodes are exposed, the parylene is also etched away.
Alternately, masking can be performed as described in concurrently filed, commonly-owned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/807,763, entitled "MASKING HIGH ASPECT-RATIO STRUCTURES".
As yet another example, the tips of the needles may be de-encapsulated using laser ablation (e.g., using an excimer laser) and shadow masking techniques. For example, a shadow mask can be made by forming holes in a wafer in positions corresponding to the needles. The holes may be etched, for example using an anisotropic etchant (e.g. KOH or TMAH) or by deep reactive ion etching. The array can then be temporarily joined to the shadow mask and the needles can be inserted through the holes. The thickness of the shadow mask is equal to the height of the electrodes minus the desired exposure height of de-incapsulation.
It can also be helpful to electrically insulate the needles from each other. This can be accomplished by cutting a third set of trenches into a back surface of the wafer. These cuts define a series of mesas on the back side (called mesas, since they are typically much shorter than the front-side columns). The trenches between the mesas are filled with an electrically insulating material. This operation can be optionally performed before cutting the first set and the second set of trenches into the top side of the wafer. The first set and the second set of trenches can be cut sufficiently deeply into the top side of the wafer to intersect the third set of trenches (reaching the insulating material), thus removing all of the original wafer material between the columns that will be formed into the micro-needles. The insulating material can be, for example, glass. A glass frit can be disposed into the third set of trenches and then heating to melt and anneal the glass. Glass frit can be dispensed in the trenches using screen printing technique for high production manufacture of arrays. Although glass frit is mentioned, other insulating materials can be used which are biocompatible, non-toxic, and can be reliably deposited in the trenches. Thus, in these embodiments, the insulating material forms a support matrix for the micro-needles which are segregated from one another.
As another example, a polymer can be patterned into the trenches (e.g. using standard lithographic techniques) or reflowed into the trenches. For example, the polymer may be a biocompatible polymer, such as benzocyclobutane. As another example, the polymer may be biodegradable polymer, such as but not limited to, polycaprolactone (PCL), poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) or polyglycolide. Any polymer which biodegrades, is non-toxic, and does not interfere with performance of the micro-needles can be used. The polymer helps to support the micro-needles during implantation. After implantation, the biodegradable plastic will dissolve, allowing the micro-needles to float in the tissue. This reduces mechanical coupling between the array and the tissue, helping to reduce neural damage and possible fracturing of the needles.
Following the steps of cutting and etching the columns to form the needles, the material flowed into the third set of trenches will form the substrate of the needle array. Of course, if these steps are not performed, the substrate of the needle array will be the base wafer material.
When wafer-scale fabrication steps are completed, the wafer can be separated into a plurality of individual needle arrays such as by conventional dicing or other techniques. Additional fabrication steps may be performed on the individual needle arrays, such as flip chip mounting of an integrated circuit to the needle array. Optionally, these additional fabrication steps can be performed while the arrays are still associated on the wafer. In this manner, at least some of the fabrication steps can be streamlined and performed simultaneously across the wafer. In most cases, this may involve performing various deposition and/or photolithographic steps to the backside of the wafer and care should be taken to protect the micro-needles.
To provide greater uniformity in the finished width of the needles, a plurality of sacrificial columns can be defined when mechanically modifying the wafer. For example, typically individual needle arrays have a gap left in between to simplify separation of the individual needle arrays once wafer-scale fabrication is completed. The gap can allow increased flow of etchant near the outside edges of the arrays during the dynamic etching, causing the outside needles to be etched faster than the inside needles. Accordingly, sacrificial features can be included to help provide more uniform etchant flow through the saw kerfs. For example, sacrificial features can include extra rows and columns of needles that are removed during a later processing step. As another example, differently sized columns in the form of rectangular fins or square posts can be included near the gaps to provide a relatively constant column sidewall area density across the wafer. In other words, where wider cuts are present, larger columns can be included near the wide cuts to help counteract the increased flow in that vicinity. The sacrificial columns can be removed after the etching using a dicing saw. Non-limiting examples of such sacrificial features are shown in
It has been unexpectedly found that relatively uniform needle shapes can be obtained by performing the etching on a wafer scale. For example, width uniformity has been experimentally measured for the wafer-scale fabrication methods disclosed herein. After sawing, the column widths were 225+/−15 micrometers measured over five wafers. This variability is primarily due to wearing of the dicing blade. All five wafers were etched under a dynamic etching process for 4 minutes under similar conditions. The etch rate was approximately 25 micrometers/minute at room temperature. Measurements of needle width in two-directions (both horizontal relative to the wafer top surface) were performed diagonally across the rounded columns of fifteen individual arrays distributed across each of the wafers. The average width was 122+/−7 micrometers. The percentage variation in non-uniformity of electrode measurements was calculated as the standard deviation multiplied by 100 and divided by the mean. The average percentage of width non-uniformity across all wafers was about 2%, while within an individual array it was about 1.5%. Accordingly, the process can consistently produce needles with non-uniformity of less than about 3%.
After static etching, all five wafers were cross-sected using a dicing saw and needle lengths were measured across each array. Seven arrays on each wafer were analyzed. The average needle length was 1.3 mm and the percentage of length non-uniformity was found to be about 1%. Accordingly, the process can consistently produce needles with a length non-uniformity of less than about 2%.
Data was also collected for the previous single array etching process by etching ten arrays. Width measurements were made diagonally across each array. Width non-uniformity was found to be about 9% in one direction and about 10% in the other direction. Accordingly the wafer-scale etching process provides a significant improvement in the width uniformity of the needles, improving width non-uniformity from about 9-10% in the single array process to less than 5%, and more particularly, less than 3% in the wafer-scale etching process and improving length non-uniformity to less than 5%, and more particularly less than 2% in the wafer-scale etching process.
Performing wafer level etching can significantly reduce the processing time. For example, using wafer-scale etching, a single 3-inch wafer can be etched in about 13 minutes to produce 54 UEAs. In contrast, conventional single array etching would require about 27 hours to produce the same number of arrays. Although dimensions of UEAs can vary, the number of UEAs which can be formed from a single 3-inch wafer can typically range from about 40 to about 80, while larger wafers can be effectively used to produce up to several hundred UEAs per wafer. Further, UEA dimensions can range from about 1 mm to about 10 mm across, although other dimensions can be readily formed depending on the intended application.
For faster throughput in the etching process, a larger etching bath may be used and multiple wafers etched simultaneously. For example,
A scanning electron microscope picture of a three-inch wafer of etched needle arrays is shown in
A number of variations on the basic needle arrays as described above can be produced. For example, while the discussion above has assumed that the sawing is performed perpendicularly to the surface to produce parallel needles, if desired the saw may be angled to produce arrays of needles which are splayed inward or outward. For example,
The depths of the trenches can also be optionally varied to produce different length needles. If desired, various curved surfaces can be formed, and needle arrays presenting tips and/or bases disposed in a non-planar surface can be formed as described further in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/807,766, entitled "MICRO-NEEDLE ARRAYS HAVING NON-PLANAR TIPS AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF".
Summarizing and reiterating to some extend, a wafer-scale method for making needle arrays has been developed. Benefits of the wafer-scale method include increased throughput, as an entire wafer of needle arrays can be manufactured simultaneously, rather than forming a single needle array at a time. An additional benefit of the wafer-scale method is improved uniformity in the width and length of the needles across an individual array. During etching, a wafer holder can protect the back side of the wafer from etching using an o-ring, avoid the need for organic masking materials, such as wax that could present cleaning difficulties during later processing steps.
While the forgoing examples are illustrative of the principles of the present invention in one or more particular applications, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications in form, usage and details of implementation can be made without the exercise of inventive faculty, and without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention.
|Cited Patent
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|Publication date
|Nov 7, 1989
|Jun 1, 1993
|The University Of Utah
|Three-dimensional electrode device
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|American Plating Systems
|Electrolytic plating apparatus and method
|Jul 7, 1993
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|Huth; Gerald C.
|Optically interactive nanostructure
|Aug 3, 1998
|Apr 20, 1999
|Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
|Gas shielding during plating
|Nov 16, 1999
|Sep 4, 2001
|Sensornet Limited
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|Mar 26, 2001
|May 24, 2005
|Kumetrix, Inc.
|Silicon nitride window for microsampling device and method of construction
|Campbell, Patrick et al. "A silicon-based, three-dimensional neural interface: manufacturing processes for an intracortical electrode array," IEEE, Aug. 1991, pp. 758-768, vol. 38.No. 8.
|Fofonoff, T. et al. A highly flexible manufacturing technique for microelectrode array fabrication in: [Engineering in Medicine and Biology, 2002. 24th Annual Conference and the Annual Fall Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society] EMBS/BMES Conference, 2002, pp. 2107-2108.
|Fofonoff, T. et al. Assembly-ready brain microelectrode array's in: Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, Proceedings of the 25th Annual International Conference of the IEEE, 2003, pp. 1937-1940.
|Jones, Kelly et al. "A glass/silicon composite intracortical electrode array,"Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 1992, pp. 423-437, vol. 20.
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|May 29, 2007
|Oct 21, 2014
|University Of Utah Research Foundation
|Micro-needle arrays having non-planar tips and methods of manufacture thereof
|Jun 3, 2009
|Nov 11, 2014
|University Of Utah Research Foundation
|High aspect ratio microelectrode arrays enabled to have customizable lengths and methods of making the same
|May 29, 2007
|Jun 12, 2008
|Rajmohan Bhandari
|Masking high-aspect aspect ratio structures
|May 29, 2007
|Jun 12, 2008
|Rajmohan Bhandari
|Micro-needle arrays having non-planar tips and methods of manufacture thereof
|Dec 10, 2009
|Rajmohan Bhandari
|Methods for Wafer Scale Processing of Needle Array Devices
|May 27, 2011
|May 31, 2012
|Rajmohan Bhandari
|Wafer-scale needle array
|U.S. Classification
|216/11, 438/691, 216/39, 216/99, 438/460, 216/52, 216/91
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Sep 4, 2007
Owner name: UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, UTAH
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|Jul 23, 2008
Owner name: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH), U.S. DEPT. OF
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|Nov 11, 2014
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Patient Comments: Sarcoidosis - Coping
How have you been able to cope with your sarcoidosis?
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I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis at the age of 24. I have been fortunate in that steroids are very effective with my condition. I have reduced lung function but have managed quite well. My major problem is that I catch every cold or flu going around. A few years ago I caught a cold at work and the next morning I was in hospital with pneumonia.
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I now cope very well. I have been hospitalized 3 times and had extreme fatigue plus most other symptoms. My lung x-ray looked like spider webs. I suffer from sunstroke and shingles. I am a nurse and by good luck began working at exactly the place to help. Chelation therapy cleared excess calcium from lungs, tendons and muscle. Inflammation process lays down calcium. It can be anywhere. Excessive exposure to sun increases vitamin D causing calcium shift. I take rest, avoid chemicals, I can live positively with it by taking vitamin C (5gms) omegas, magnesium, ashwaganda, liver support, chromium and multivitamins.
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I take the drug gabapentin for sarcoidosis and steroid cream for itching of arms, chest and calves. I have had long term coughing.
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QUANAH - Jan White, 69, died Monday, May 12, 2008.
Services will be 11 a.m. Friday in Church of Christ with Terry Allen and Bill White officiating. Burial will be in Quanah Memorial Park by Smith Funeral Home.
Mrs. White was born Oct. 9, 1938, in Quanah, to Coy Marshall and Willie M. Huffman Marshall. She married John L. White on July 7, 1970, in Wichita Falls.
Survivors include her husband; her mother, Willie Marshall of Quanah; a son, John White of Quanah; three brothers, Harvey Marshall of Hobart, Okla., John C. Marshall of Canton and Donald W. Marshall of Huntsville, Mo.; three stepsons, Mark White of Wichita Falls and Jim Bob White and Barry White, both of Quanah; 13 stepgrandchildren; and a stepgreat-grandchild.
The family suggests memorials be to Rathgeber Hospitality House, 1615 12 St. Wichita Falls, TX 76301.
Amarillo Globe-News, May 13, 2008
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text:
Political risks to watch in Iraq
Political risks to watch in Iraq
What to watch:
- Major shifts in Kurdish, Shi'ite blocks against
- Outcome of April provincial vote.
- Deals to unblock passage of laws.
- Violence during Sunni protests.
For Iraq's Shi'ite leadership, the Sunni rebellion
against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a
political nightmare. They fear if Assad falls, it
may bring to power a hardline Sunni regime hostile
to Baghdad and lead to Sunni Islamist fighters
crossing the border to carry out attacks in Iraq.
Iraq's leadership is close to Assad's Shi'ite ally
Iran, and says it takes no sides. But Maliki has
come under pressure from Washington to prevent Iran
flying arms to Assad through Iraqi airspace.
Washington is Iraq's largest arms supplier.
What to watch:
- Any shift in Baghdad's position on Assad.
- Frontier clashes destabilising border areas.
- U.S. Congress pressuring Iraq through arms deals.
Violence has surged this year, especially suicide
bombings, as insurgents tied to al Qaeda have hit
Shi'ite targets to try to stoke sectarian tensions.
So far Shi'ite militias have stayed out of the fray
but attacks on Shi'ite holy sites could draw them in
as it did during the sectarian bloodshed of
Al Qaeda's local wing, Islamic State of Iraq, says
it has joined forces with the al-Nusra Front in
Syria to forge one theatre of war. Security forces
say insurgents are using the remote western desert
in Anbar province bordering Syria to regroup,
recruit and train.
What to watch:
- Militia retaliation after an attack on Shi'ite
- Signs of al Qaeda openly controlling border areas.
- Attacks against government offices in Baghdad.
Tensions between Baghdad's central government and
the autonomous Kurdistan region are at their worst
in years. While Baghdad says it has control over the
country's oil resources,www.ekurd.net
Kurdistan says it has the right to sign oil deals
and develop its fields. Both governments sent troops
to reinforce their internal border, a potential
At the heart of the dispute is Exxon Mobil, which
has signed deals with Kurdistan, but also operates
the huge West Qurna oilfield in the south. Baghdad
says the U.S. major must chose between the south or
Kurdistan. Turkey also wants access to Kurdistan's
oil and gas, but also risks its investments in the
south if it moves ahead too quickly and angers
- Concrete moves by Kurdistan, Turkey for a pipeline
- Decisions by Exxon on its southern assets.
- Build-up of troops along the internal border.
By Patrick Markey - Reuters
Copyright ©, respective
author or news agency,
Kurdistan, Iraq tensions
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we are not real partners in Iraq, we will take
the way we see fit 14.3.2013
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budget without Kurdish consent, Kurds will stay
in govt 12.3.2013
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withdrawal from Iraqi govt, disagreement between
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border 9.3.2013
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Kurdistan presidency 27.2.2013
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L-159 Deal "Fails" 26.2.2013
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to extend Kurdistan pipelines without Baghdad's
permission 25.2.2013
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text:
City Council to decide on new tax for Montpelier Alive funding
MONTPELIER — City Council plans to decide Jan. 24 whether to put a new tax on the March ballot that would provide additional funding to Montpelier Alive.
The new funding stream would help with streetscape improvements downtown and expand Montpelier Alive's marketing with regional print and radio advertising, expanding the organization's marketing to the Montreal-area market.
"We're asking you to actually create a taxing authority to raise the money," Montpelier Alive board member Sarah Jarvis said at Wednesday's City Council meeting.
Montpelier Alive pressed the City Council to decide Wednesday on whether to endorse a new tax for the March ballot, but the measure was tabled, and Mayor John Hollar warned the nonprofit to not gather signatures if the council did not vote in favor of putting the measure on the ballot.
Hollar cited council member Tom Golonka's absence as a major hold-up. Hollar suggested he's receptive to the idea, but he said he would need the entire council to weigh in on the issue.
Only City Council member Alan Weiss said he opposed the tax.
Montpelier Alive, which would oversee the $75,000 generated from a 4.5-cent tax on certain downtown commercial properties, presented the proposal on Wednesday to City Council. Jarvis expressed concerns that if the council didn't vote that night, the organization couldn't obtain the nearly 700 signatures in time for a petition deadline to put the question on the March ballot.
For the complete story, see Friday's Times Argus.MORE IN This Just InMONTPELIER Grace Phelps scored twice, while Victoria Gates, Ally Brink and Alaura Rich also... Full StoryBURLINGTON Republican gubernatorial candidate Phil Scott has been accused of breaking campaign... Full StoryBRATTLEBORO Entergy Nuclear says it has found a potential source of water infiltration into... Full Story
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text:
Created in this Craftsy class
Find inspiration in the world around youpaint dazzling landscapes from photos of your neighborhood with the help of acrylic artist Susan Stillman.
Other projects made as part of this class:
Offer some kudos...
Join the conversation...
Ask a question...
Add your comment...
|Here are some details about my project:
|Acrylic Paint
Share a little about the materials, processes and techniques used to create this piece. This project was similar to my last one, in that I used what I had on hand for the process...I have learned a lot about using the local colors although there is plenty of room for improvement!
Looks wonderful. Love the foreground branches! Think about the grass color being warmer and lighter green than the trees in the background. It's always a challenge to differentiate the areas of a painting using the colors reflecting the light and shadow. Look at Seurat's Grand Jatte for a great example of this. Best, Susan
Thanks so much for the encouragement as well as the very helpful hints!


text:
Expanding Use of NGS Has Largely...
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As Immunotherapy Revolutionizes the Cancer Treatment...
Firm is developing nanopore technology for single molecule DNA sequencing and protein analysis.[Orlando Florin Rosu - Fotolia.com]
University of Oxford spin-out Oxford Nanopore Technologies raised £25 million (about $41 million) through a fundraising round with new and existing investors from the U.S. and U.K. The firm is developing a nanopore-based technology for sequencing DNA and for protein analysis, and it says the new funds will support further development and external validation of its technology, along with supporting production capabilities. The fundraising means investor IP Group has increased its stake in Oxford Nanopore to 21.5%.
Oxford Nanopore's GridION technology harnesses protein nanopores on arrays for direct, electrical detection and analysis of a range of analytes at the single-molecule level. The firm is initially developing the platform for both DNA exonuclease sequencing and DNA strand sequencing applications but is also developing a protein-analysis technology using protein nanopores.
The firm's modular GridION platform technology includes an instrument reader and consumables based on a sensor chip containing multiple microwells. A lipid bilayer is formed over the surface of the well and the modified protein nanopores are introduced into the bilayers. Each well represents a single addressable electronic channel and each nanopore is capable of individual identification of analyte molecules.
Oxford Nanopore is separately developing solid-state nanopores for molecular characterization. To this end the firm recently negotiated exclusive rights to Harvard University's graphene technology for applications in nucleic acid sequencing. The agreement covers the use of graphene for analyzing DNA and RNA, and it builds on an existing nanopore sensing collaboration between the two organizations.
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