Provided is a lead-free piezoelectric material having satisfactory piezoelectric constant and mechanical quality factor in a device driving temperature range (−30° C. to 50° C.) The piezoelectric material includes a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by Formula 1, a first auxiliary component composed of Mn, and a second auxiliary component composed of Bi or Bi and Li. The content of Mn is 0.040 parts by weight or more and 0.500 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide on a metal basis. The content of Bi is 0.042 parts by weight or more and 0.850 parts by weight or less and the content of Li is 0.028 parts by weight or less (including 0 parts by weight) based on 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide on a metal basis. (Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x).sub.a(Ti.sub.1-yZr.sub.y)O.sub.3 . . . (1), wherein, 0.030≦x<0.090, 0.030≦y≦0.080, and 0.9860≦a≦1.0200.

A surface acoustic wave (SAW) atomizer system for use in providing a nebulized medicament to a patient is described. The system may include a SAW atomization engine with an atomization region on a substrate that is separated from the interdigitated transducers (IDTs) on the substrate by a fluid barrier that seals off liquid fed into the atomization region from the adjacent IDTs and electrical contacts driving the IDTs.

A system for controlling damages in cleaning a semiconductor wafer comprising features of patterned structures, the system comprising: a wafer holder for temporary restraining a semiconductor wafer during a cleaning process; an inlet for delivering a cleaning liquid over a surface of the semiconductor wafer; a sonic generator configured to alternately operate at a first frequency and a first power level for a first predetermined period of time and at a second frequency and a second power level for a second predetermined period of time, to impart sonic energy to the cleaning liquid, the first predetermined period of time and the second predetermined period of time consecutively following one another; and a controller programmed to provide the cleaning parameters, wherein at least one of the cleaning parameters is determined such that a percentage of damaged features as a result of the imparting sonic energy is lower than a predetermined threshold.

The invention relates to an ultrasonic mist inhaler, comprising: a liquid reservoir structure comprising a liquid chamber adapted to receive liquid to be atomized, a sonication chamber in fluid communication with the liquid chamber,
wherein the sonication chamber comprises means of ultrasonic vibrations receiving a predetermined signal for vibrating the means of ultrasonic vibrations in a range comprised between 2.8 MHz and 3.2 MHz as depicted in FIG. 3.

The handpiece-type high-frequency vibration apparatus includes a roughly cylindrical housing 10 configuring a handpiece, a holding member 11, a tool 12, a controller 20 and an excitation device 21. In a non-contact state before the tool 12 is brought into contact with an object, the controller 20 drives the excitation device 21 so as to vibrate the tool 12 at an added frequency fp for which a predetermined frequency fs is added to a first resonance frequency fr1 of the tool 12. In a cutting state where the tool 12 is in contact with the object by a load that enables cutting of the object by the tool 12, the controller 20 controls drive of the excitation device 21 such that a third resonance frequency fr3 of the tool 12 increases and coincides with the added frequency fp, and increases a vibration frequency of the tool 12.

A sonic device in an embodiment includes a sonic transducer unit and a sonic propagation unit. The sonic transducer unit performs at least one of transmitting and receiving a sonic wave, and has a sonic function surface to configure at least one of a wave transmitting surface and a wave receiving surface. The sonic propagation unit includes: a substrate having a pair of electrodes; an electroadhesive element expressing body including a resin crosslinked body arranged on the substrate, and particles dispersed in the resin crosslinked body; and a power supply to apply voltage to the pair of electrodes. The sonic propagation unit is provided on the sonic function surface of the sonic transducer unit, and the electroadhesive element expressing body in the sonic propagation unit comes into contact with a test object.

Flextensional transducers and methods of using flextensional transducers. The transducer includes a piezoelectric element and may include at least one endcap coupled with the piezoelectric element. The endcap may have an outer portion formed of a first material and an inner portion formed of a second material having a greater flexibility than the first material. The endcap may be coupled with an annular piezoelectric element near either its outer circumference or its inner circumference. The piezoelectric element may be a planar disk or have a curved bowl-shape. The transducer may be coupled with, and at least partially restrained by, a support structure. The transducer may also be configured to permit light to pass therethrough.

The present disclosure relates to driver circuitry for driving a piezoelectric transducer. The circuitry comprises: output stage circuitry configured to receive an input signal and to drive the piezoelectric transducer to produce the output signal; variable voltage power supply circuitry configured to output a supply voltage for the charge drive output stage circuitry, wherein the supply voltage output by the variable voltage power supply circuitry varies based on the input signal; a supply capacitor for receiving the supply voltage output by the variable voltage power supply circuitry; a reservoir capacitor; and circuitry for transferring charge between the reservoir capacitor and the supply capacitor.

The invention concerns a novel acoustofluidic device to separate acoustically active particles from fluids comprising a novel device arrangement for improved acoustic pressure and particle velocity; and a method of separating particles from a fluid comprising use of same.

In described examples, one or more devices include: apparatus including a lens element and a transducer to vibrate the lens element at an operating frequency when operating in an activated state; and controller circuitry. The controller circuitry is arranged to measure an impedance of the apparatus, to determine an estimated temperature of the apparatus in response to the measured impedance, to compare the estimated temperature against a temperature threshold for delineating an operating temperature range of the apparatus, and to toggle an activation state of the transducer in response to comparing the estimated temperature against the temperature threshold.