A surgical device is provided including an energy harvesting device configured to harvest energy from a sterilization device to provide power to at least one of a sensor or a computing device. The sensor is configured to measure an energy output applied to the surgical device by a sterilization device. The computing device includes a processor or logic circuit and a memory and is configured to determine when a threshold energy output applied to the surgical device is met and to store in the memory an amount of times the threshold energy output applied to the surgical device is met.

An energy harvest is disclosed. The disclosed energy harvest includes: a first charging member including a plurality of first protruding parts; and a second charging member including a plurality of second protruding parts arranged between the first protruding parts and including a material different from that of the first protruding parts. When at least one of the first and second charging members moves, side surfaces of the first protruding parts and side surfaces of the second protruding parts come into contact with each other, or gaps between the side surfaces of the first protruding parts and the side surfaces of the second protruding parts are changed. The energy harvest generates electrical energy from the contact or the gap change.

A method for preparing a pyroelectric polymer film based on a combined process of solution casting and uniaxial stretching is disclosed. The pyroelectric polymer film is firstly prepared by solution casting, afterwards, the casted film is subjected to uniaxial stretching when the film is in a semi-cured state (wet film). Thus a larger stretching ratio (>10) at a lower temperature (even at room temperature) is realized. Without undergoing a further poling process, the as-stretched film does have a fairly, good pyroelectric performance. Moreover, the surface of the stretched film is smoother and has fewer surface defects.

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for flexible batteries and methods for forming flexible batteries. A flexible battery can include a borophene sheet, a pyroelectric peptide microtubule, and a borophene cap. A first end of the pyroelectric peptide microtubule can be located adjacent to the borophene sheet and the borophene cap can be located at a second end of the pyroelectric peptide microtubule. The borophene cap can collect a charge created by the pyroelectric peptide microtubule. The flexible battery also can include a collection wire that directs the charge to a borophene capacitor charge system.

Thermal pattern sensor comprising several pixels arranged on a substrate, each pixel including at least: a pyroelectric capacitance formed by at least one portion of pyroelectric material arranged between at least one lower electrode and at least one upper electrode, with the lower electrode arranged between the substrate and the portion of pyroelectric material, a dielectric layer such that the upper electrode is arranged between the portion of pyroelectric material and the dielectric layer, a heating element including at least one deposition of electrically conductive particles and such that the dielectric layer is arranged between the upper electrode and the heating element, a protective layer arranged between the dielectric layer and the heating element and including at least one material of which the Shore A hardness is greater than or equal to around 60.

A light detection device includes: a Fabry-Perot interference filter provided with a light transmission region; a light detector configured to detect light transmitted through the light transmission region; a package having an opening and accommodating the Fabry-Perot interference filter and the light detector, and a light transmitting unit arranged on an inner surface of the package so as to close an opening, the light transmitting unit including a band pass filter configured to transmit light incident on the light transmission region. When viewed from a direction parallel to the line, an outer edge of the Fabry-Pert interference filter is positioned outside an outer edge of the opening, and an outer edge of the light transmitting unit is positioned outside the outer edge of the Fabry-Perot interference filter.

A multilayer pyroelectric element includes: a laminate body constituted by multiple pyroelectric body layers laminated in their thickness direction; internal electrode layers which are provided between the pyroelectric body layers, and one ends of which extend to the outer peripheries of the adjoining pyroelectric body layers; and external electrodes that connect the alternate internal electrode layers together at the one ends, wherein x.sub.1>x.sub.3 AND x.sub.2>x.sub.3 are satisfied wherein x.sub.1 is a distance between a pair of first faces crossing at right angles with the laminating direction of the pyroelectric body layers, x.sub.2 is a distance between a pair of second faces crossing at right angles with the first faces and running parallel with the laminating direction of the pyroelectric body layers, and x.sub.3a is a distance between a pair of third faces crossing at right angles with the first faces and also with the second faces.

Provided are a structure including: a substrate; a first layer provided on the substrate; a second layer provided on the first layer; and a third layer provided on the second layer, in which the first layer is a layer containing a compound represented by a chemical formula MIn.sub.2O.sub.4 using M as a metal element, the second layer is a metal layer having a face-centered cubic structure, and the third layer is a ferroelectric film, and a sensor using the structure.

A method for making an infrared light absorber is provided, and the method includes following steps: providing a carbon nanotube array on a substrate; truncating the carbon nanotube array by dry etching a top surface of the carbon nanotube array, the top surface being away from the substrate, the carbon nanotube array comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes substantially parallel with each other, the plurality of carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube array are truncated to a height in a range of 100 micrometers to 300 micrometers.

A method of making an electrocaloric is disclosed. The method includes: (a) providing a roll of a film comprising an electrocaloric material or a supply of multiple sheets of a film comprising an electrocaloric material; (b) delivering film from the roll or the supply of multiple sheets to a conductive material application station; (c) forming electrodes comprising a patterned disposition of conductive material on the film at the application station to form an electrocaloric article (d) delivering film from the application station to a take-up roll or an inventory of electrocaloric sheets; and (e) repeating (b), (c), and (d) to form multiple electrocaloric articles.