A pane having an electric heating layer is described, including: a first pane having a surface; at least one electric heating layer that is applied to at least part of the surface and has at least one uncoated zone; at least two busbars, provided for connection to a voltage source, which are connected to the electric heating layer such that a current path for a heating current is formed between the busbars; and n separating lines which electrically subdivide the electric layer into m segments. The segments are arranged in the form of strips around the uncoated zone such that the current path for the heating current is at least partially guided around the uncoated zone and the segments have equal width and the sum of widths of segments is equal to the width of the electric heating layer.

A pane having an electric heating layer is described, including: a first pane having a surface; at least one electric heating layer that is applied to at least part of the surface and has at least one uncoated zone; at least two busbars, provided for connection to a voltage source, which are connected to the electric heating layer such that a current path for a heating current is formed between the busbars; and n separating lines which electrically subdivide the electric layer into m segments. The segments are arranged in the form of strips around the uncoated zone such that the current path for the heating current is at least partially guided around the uncoated zone and the segments have equal width and the sum of widths of segments is equal to the width of the electric heating layer.

Disclosed is a heater comprising a PTC heating resistor based on barium titanate. The PTC heating resistor is printed onto a substrate. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing such a heater.

Devices and methods for controlling ablation therapy are provided herein. In one embodiment, an ablation device is provided that includes an elongate body having proximal and distal ends, and an inner lumen extending therethrough. The inner lumen can be configured to receive fluid therein and to deliver fluid to the distal end of the elongate body. The device can also include an ablation element positioned at a distal end of the elongate body that is configured to heat surrounding tissue, and a heater element disposed within the inner lumen adjacent to a distal end of thereof, the heater element being configured to heat fluid flowing through the inner lumen.

Devices and methods for efficiently and reproducibly heating fluid for use in fluid enhanced ablation are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an ablation device is provided having an elongate body, at least one wire extending through an inner lumen of the elongate body, and at least one spacer disposed within the inner lumen. The at least one wire extends through the at least one spacer such that the at least one spacer is effective to maintain an adjacent portion of the at least one wire in a substantially fixed geometric relationship with the inner lumen, thereby preventing electrical shorts and providing for the consistent and uniform heating of fluid flowing through the inner lumen of the elongate body.

A humidifier heater base assembly has a heater plate with a thermally conductive portion and a perimeter portion around a perimeter of the heater plate. A resilient member has an inner part attached to the perimeter portion and an outer part adapted to provide a resilient perimeter flange around at least part and preferably the whole of the perimeter portion. The resilient member fixes the heater base to the humidifier by the resilient perimeter flange such that the heater plate and the inner part can move relative to the humidifier in a direction substantially transverse to the general plane of the heater plate. At least a portion of the resilient perimeter flange remains stationary relative to the humidifier.

Devices and methods for shaping an ablation treatment volume formed in fluid enhanced ablation therapy are provided. The devices and methods disclosed herein utilize the interaction of fluids to create ablation treatment volumes having a variety of shapes. In one embodiment, a method for forming an ablation treatment volume having a desired shape includes delivering therapeutic energy to tissue to form an ablation treatment volume and simultaneously delivering a first fluid and a second fluid to the tissue. The first and second fluids can convect the therapeutic energy in a desired direction such that the ablation treatment volume has a desired shape.

Devices and methods for monitoring the temperature of tissue at various locations in a treatment volume during fluid enhanced ablation therapy are provided. In one embodiment, an ablation device is provided having an elongate body, at least one ablation element, and at least one temperature sensor. The elongate body includes a proximal and distal end, an inner lumen, and at least one outlet port to allow fluid to be delivered to tissue surrounding the elongate body. The at least one ablation element is configured to heat tissue surrounding the at least one ablation element. The at least one temperature sensor can be positioned a distance away from the at least one ablation element and can be effective to output a measured temperature of tissue spaced a distance apart from the at least one ablation element such that the measured temperature indicates whether tissue is being heating to a therapeutic level.

A paired temperature sensor includes two temperature sensors having electrical characteristics substantially equivalent at the same temperature range, each of the temperature sensor having a thermosensitive element therein that changes its electrical characteristics according to temperature, and a pair of lead wires, and a single connector 3 to which the two temperature sensors are connected via the lead wires. The two temperature sensors have electrical characteristics substantially equivalent at the same temperature range. The connector has positioning portions for allowing the connector to be connected in a predetermined orientation relative to a counterpart connector. There is provided at least one distinguishing difference between the two temperature sensors.

A ceramic electronic component includes a rectangular or substantially rectangular parallelepiped shaped laminate in which a ceramic layer and an internal electrode are alternately laminated and an external electrode provided on a portion of a surface of the laminate and electrically connected to the internal electrode. The external electrode includes an inner external electrode covering a portion of the surface of the laminate and including a mixture of a resin component and a metal component and an outer external electrode covering the inner external electrode and including a metal component. The inner external electrode includes, as a metal component, a first metal component of which a portion forms an alloy with the internal electrode so as to connect the internal electrode and the inner external electrode to each other, and a second metal component higher in melting point than the first metal component, of which a portion forms an alloy with the first metal component so as to connect the inner external electrode and the outer external electrode to each other. A concentration of a metal in a surface layer of the inner external electrode is not lower than about 17%.