A variable-flow-rate anti-clogging emitter includes an upper casing and a lower casing, where the upper casing and the lower casing are fixedly connected with each other; the upper casing has a flat top surface provided with a water outlet and a bottom surface provided with a truncated conical slot in communication with the water outlet; the lower casing includes a flow channel portion and a discharging portion, which are recessed in an upper surface of the lower casing; the flow channel portion has one end provided with multiple parallel feeding channels and an other end communicated with the discharging portion; one end of a lower surface of the lower casing is provided with an L-shaped platform; water inlets of the multiple feeding channels are arranged on a side wall of the L-shaped platform; and an elastomer flow channel is fixedly provided between the upper casing and the lower casing.

Systems and methods for self-cleaning a surface of an object where an electrodynamic shield is mounted to a surface of the object. The electrodynamic shield includes one or more sets of electrodes atop a substrate, at least one or more sets of electrodes being covered in a protective film. A coating is applied to the top surface of the protection film. A signal pulse generator is connected to the one or more sets of electrodes. The signal pulse generator generates a pulse signal that causes the one or more sets of electrodes to generate an electric field. The pulse signal comprises a plurality of different pulse signals which have phase differences between consecutive signals, and the electric field causes a particle atop the coating to experience an electrostatic force and be repelled away from the coating. These pulse signals (including shapes, amplitudes, shifts, and frequencies) can be tuned to increase efficiency of removal depending on dust type and relative humidity.

Systems and methods for self-cleaning a surface of an object where an electrodynamic shield is mounted to a surface of the object. The electrodynamic shield includes one or more sets of electrodes atop a substrate, at least one or more sets of electrodes being covered in a protective film. A coating is applied to the top surface of the protection film. A signal pulse generator is connected to the one or more sets of electrodes. The signal pulse generator generates a pulse signal that causes the one or more sets of electrodes to generate an electric field. The pulse signal comprises a plurality of different pulse signals which have phase differences between consecutive signals, and the electric field causes a particle atop the coating to experience an electrostatic force and be repelled away from the coating. These pulse signals (including shapes, amplitudes, shifts, and frequencies) can be tuned to increase efficiency of removal depending on dust type and relative humidity.

Disclosed is a low-cost, scalable and highly repeatable approach to fabricate polystyrene films with three-dimensional nanopyramids on the surface. The nanopyramids have tubable aspect ratio and anti-bacterial performance. The effectiveness of the nanopyramids on bacterial and fungi growth inhibition and the role of nanostructure aspect ratio are confirmed via through scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results show an excellent antibacterial performance with more than 90% reduction in E. coli population in all nanopyramid samples after a 168-hr prolonged incubation time. The nanopyramid film developed here can be used for the clinical and commercial applications to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria on various surfaces.

Novel coatings disclosed herein can be used to mitigate dust adhesion. In one embodiment, a method of making a dust repellant coating includes combining a titanium dioxide sol with colloidal silica to form a mixture. The method also includes adding solvent to the mixture, stirring the mixture for about an hour, and filtering the mixture into a solution of titanium dioxide and silica dioxide.

An anti-spatter spray containment system includes: an enclosure having a nozzle insertion orifice on a first side and a drain orifice on a second side of the enclosure; a spray nozzle configured to spray fluid toward a nozzle inserted into the nozzle insertion orifice, wherein the enclosure is configured to funnel the fluid in a direction toward the second side; and a baffle configured to block at least a first portion of sprayed fluid from the spray nozzle from exiting the enclosure via the nozzle insertion orifice, the first side configured to block at least a second portion of the sprayed fluid from the spray nozzle that is not blocked by the baffle.

Medical diagnostic devices or components thereof are described that comprise a microstructured surface that comprises peak structures and adjacent valleys wherein the valleys have a maximum width ranging from 1 to 1000 microns and the peak structures. In some embodiments (e.g.

for improved cleanability) the peak structures of the microstructured surface have a side wall angle of greater than 10 degrees. The peak structures may comprise two or more facets such as in the case of a linear array of prisms or an array of cube-comers elements. The microstructured surface of the medical diagnostic device typically comes in contact with multiple patients during normal use of the device, such as a stethoscope diaphragm. The microstructured surface exhibits better microorganism (e.g. bacteria) removal when cleaned and/or provides a reduction in microbial touch transfer. Also described are methods of making and methods of use.

An anti-fouling surface having micron scale pillars embedded with Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 nanoparticles is designed. The pillars may be repeatedly induced to move according to a predetermined frequency, such as one that mimic that of the beating movement of natural cilia, through the application of a magnetic field. When square-shaped pillars with a height of 10 μm, width of 2 μm, and inter-pattern distance of 5 μm actuated for three minutes, more than 99.9 percent of biofilm cells were detached and via gentle rinsing from the surface having the pillars. The anti-fouling surface enables effective prevention of biofilm formation and removal of established biofilms, and can be applied to a broad spectrum of polymers.

Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for sensor cleaning systems. A region of a sensor window is identified to be blocked by an obscurant. The location of the region is determined using the sensor associated with the sensor window. An acousto-vibratory cleaning system receives the location of the region and produces a fluid droplet to be dispensed at a specified point on a two-dimensional plane of the surface of the sensor window. Sonic actuators are activated to capture the fluid droplet in acoustic levitation. Acoustic forces guide the fluid droplet to the region being obscured. Once the fluid droplet is in cleaning position, vibration of the sensor window is activated to incrementally clear the obscurant by vibrating the droplet along the obscurant. The acousto-vibratory cleaning system generates additional acoustic forces to guide the contaminated fluid droplet to a closest drainage canal.

The present invention relates to a technology of solving an issue where screens are contaminated with pollution caused by fingerprints, cosmetics, etc. on covers or windows of mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, etc. and other user contact devices, thereby maintaining the excellent surface hardness properties of existing covers or windows and preventing deterioration of surface properties (antifouling properties) even when used long-term. The method for forming a surface having super water-repellent and super oil-repellent properties comprises the steps of: etching a surface of a target on which a surface with super water-repellent and super oil-repellent properties will be formed, to thereby form a surface structure in which convex parts () and concave parts () are continuously formed; and performing a conformal coating for coating a fluorine-based material on the surface structure which is etched on the surface of the target, wherein all configuration walls of the convex parts and all configuration walls of the concave parts are coated at a uniform thickness.