A system for performing substrateless and/or local donor Laser Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT), comprising a reservoir (9) comprising at least one opening and an energy source configured to deliver energy to a donor material within said reservoir, characterized by at least one of: said reservoir is embedded into a medical device; said reservoir is in fluid connection with a medical device; said reservoir is incorporated into a medical device; said reservoir contains at least one biologically active substance; and, said reservoir is in fluid connection with at least one source of at least one biologically active substance. This system enables deposition of material by LIFT without any need for a donor substrate. Methods of substrateless and local donor LIFT, in particular for medical and biological applications, are also disclosed.

An article for laser marking can comprising: a thermoplastic composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer, an active component comprising at least one of a polymeric unit and an additive, wherein the thermoplastic polymer has a visible transmission of greater than or equal to 80% according to ASTM D1003-00, Procedure A, using D65 illumination, 10 degrees observer, and thickness of 1 mm; and a mark produced by chemical rearrangement of the active component generated by a laser of a first wavelength; wherein the mark exhibits at least one of: (i) a change in optical properties in the region 400 nm to 700 nm when exposed to light having a wavelength less than or equal to 500 nm; and (ii) a change in optical properties in the region of 400 nm to 700 nm when exposed to light having a wavelength greater than or equal to the first wavelength.

An article for laser marking can comprising: a thermoplastic composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer, an active component comprising at least one of a polymeric unit and an additive, wherein the thermoplastic polymer has a visible transmission of greater than or equal to 80% according to ASTM D1003-00, Procedure A, using D65 illumination, 10 degrees observer, and thickness of 1 mm; and a mark produced by chemical rearrangement of the active component generated by a laser of a first wavelength; wherein the mark exhibits at least one of: (i) a change in optical properties in the region 400 nm to 700 nm when exposed to light having a wavelength less than or equal to 500 nm; and (ii) a change in optical properties in the region of 400 nm to 700 nm when exposed to light having a wavelength greater than or equal to the first wavelength.

A liquid ejection head capable of reducing the thickness of the protective layer as compared to the traditional technique and efficiently transferring the heat energy generated by the heating resistance element to a droplet such as ink and a method of manufacturing the liquid ejection head provide. To achieve this, a power supply wiring are provided in the same layer below the heating resistance element.

A decoloring apparatus includes a sheet conveying unit, a scanner, a decoloring unit, and a controller. The decoloring unit decolors the image on the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying unit. The decoloring unit is positioned downstream of the scanner in a sheet conveying direction. A distance along the sheet conveying direction between the scanner and the decoloring unit is shorter than a length of a first predetermined sheet size and longer than a length of a second predetermined sheet size. A controller determines whether the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit is the first predetermined sheet size or the second predetermined sheet size. The controller performs a mode limiting process if the sheet size is determined to be the first predetermined sheet size.

An image recording apparatus includes a plurality of laser emission parts disposed side by side in a predetermined direction for emitting laser light; an optical system configured to collect a plurality of beams of laser light emitted by the laser emission parts onto the recording target moving relative to the laser emission parts in a direction crossing the predetermined direction; and an output control unit configured to perform control such that energy of laser light emitted from an outermost end laser emission part of the laser emission parts is greater than energy of laser light emitted from a center laser emission part, the outermost end laser emission part emitting laser light to be transmitted through vicinity of an end portion of the optical system, the center laser emission part emitting laser light to be transmitted through a portion other than vicinity of the end portion of the optical system.

An image recording apparatus includes a plurality of laser emission parts disposed side by side in a predetermined direction for emitting laser light; an optical system configured to collect a plurality of beams of laser light emitted by the laser emission parts onto the recording target moving relative to the laser emission parts in a direction crossing the predetermined direction; and an output control unit configured to perform control such that energy of laser light emitted from an outermost end laser emission part of the laser emission parts is greater than energy of laser light emitted from a center laser emission part, the outermost end laser emission part emitting laser light to be transmitted through vicinity of an end portion of the optical system, the center laser emission part emitting laser light to be transmitted through a portion other than vicinity of the end portion of the optical system.

A method of forming a multi-colored image on a substrate that includes a thermochromic material capable of producing at least two different colors is disclosed. The method includes heating individually selected pixels of the thermochromic material that correspond to the image to one or more first temperatures sufficient to activate the selected pixels of the thermochromic material for color shift. The area corresponding to the individually selected pixels is flooded with a first UV radiation dosage sufficient to at least partially polymerize the thermochromic material. The individually selected pixels are heated to one or more second temperatures while the area is flooded with a second UV radiation dosage.

A method of forming a multi-colored image on a substrate that includes a thermochromic material capable of producing at least two different colors is disclosed. The method includes heating individually selected pixels of the thermochromic material that correspond to the image to one or more first temperatures sufficient to activate the selected pixels of the thermochromic material for color shift. The area corresponding to the individually selected pixels is flooded with a first UV radiation dosage sufficient to at least partially polymerize the thermochromic material. The individually selected pixels are heated to one or more second temperatures while the area is flooded with a second UV radiation dosage.

A thermal transfer device includes a fixture that holds a transfer object, a foil transfer tool that presses a thermal transfer foil placed on the transfer object and a light absorbing film placed on the thermal transfer foil and emits light onto the light absorbing film, a carriage moving mechanism that moves the foil transfer tool relative to the fixture, and a temperature detector that measures a temperature of a portion of the light absorbing film pressed and irradiated with light by the foil transfer tool.