Systems and methods in which a material or materials (e.g., a viscous material) are printed or otherwise transferred onto an intermediate substrate at a printing unit(s). The intermediate substrate having an image of material printed thereon is subsequently transferred to a sample building unit, and the image of material is transferred from the intermediate substrate to a sample at the sample building unit. Optionally, the printing unit(s) includes a coating system that creates a uniform layer of the material on a donor substrate, and the material is transferred from the donor substrate onto the intermediate substrate at the printing unit(s). Each of the printing units may employ a variety of printing or other transfer technologies. The system may also include material curing, heating, sintering, ablating, material filling, imaging and cleaning units to aid in the overall process.

An electromagnetic radiation system (100) for directing an electromagnetic radiation beam at a target (130). The electromagnetic radiation system comprises an electromagnetic radiation source (110) for providing the electromagnetic radiation beam, a head (120) for projecting the electromagnetic radiation beam on to the target (130); and an umbilical assembly (140) connecting the electromagnetic radiation source (110) to the head (120) and configured to transmit the electromagnetic radiation beam to the head. The electromagnetic radiation system further comprises an optical isolator (150) positioned between the electromagnetic radiation source (110) and the umbilical assembly (140).

A system for performing substrateless and/or local donor Laser Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT), comprising a reservoir 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.

There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including: a head, a fixing device and a mist collector configured to collect a mist of a liquid. The mist collector and the fixing device are arranged side by side in this order in a first direction. The mist collector is provided with an air channel having a suction port and an exhaust port. The air channel has: a first part and a second part connected to an other end of the first part. The exhaust port is opened, in the second part, toward any one of directions which are: a direction including a direction opposite to the first direction as a directional component thereof, a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and a second direction, and a direction opposite to the third direction.

There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including: a head, a fixing device and a mist collector configured to collect a mist of a liquid. The mist collector and the fixing device are arranged side by side in this order in a first direction. The mist collector is provided with an air channel having a suction port and an exhaust port. The air channel has: a first part and a second part connected to an other end of the first part. The exhaust port is opened, in the second part, toward any one of directions which are: a direction including a direction opposite to the first direction as a directional component thereof, a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and a second direction, and a direction opposite to the third direction.

Power to an electrical device is controlled using a phase control that changes a cutoff phase of an alternating current (AC) electrical signal delivered to the electrical device. The power delivered to the electrical device is increased to an operational level using the phase control. A level of the power delivered to the electrical device is maintained at the operational level using an integral half cycle control that selectively removes a plurality of half cycles from the AC electrical signal delivered to the electrical device such that a plurality of remaining half cycles in the AC electrical signal delivered to the electrical device have a frequency outside a range of sub-harmonic frequencies.

Power to an electrical device is controlled using a phase control that changes a cutoff phase of an alternating current (AC) electrical signal delivered to the electrical device. The power delivered to the electrical device is increased to an operational level using the phase control. A level of the power delivered to the electrical device is maintained at the operational level using an integral half cycle control that selectively removes a plurality of half cycles from the AC electrical signal delivered to the electrical device such that a plurality of remaining half cycles in the AC electrical signal delivered to the electrical device have a frequency outside a range of sub-harmonic frequencies.

An illustrative dye sublimation apparatus may comprise a pressure housing in the heating component. The pressure housing may apply a positive pressure on a membrane covering a combination of a printed sheet and a substrate. The positive pressure applied by the pressure housing may cause the printed sheet and substrate to snugly press against each other throughout a heating cycle. Furthermore, the positive pressure applied by the pressure housing may be even or approximately even throughout an upper surface of the membrane. The dye sublimation apparatus may utilize the pressure housing in addition or as an alternative to a negative pressure applied by a vacuum pump.

A printing apparatus includes a liquid ejecting unit capable of ejecting ink, which is a liquid, onto a medium and capable of reciprocating in a width direction (X-axis direction) of the medium, a medium support unit that supports the medium on a support face, a medium width detection unit that detects a width of the medium supported on the support face, a plurality of heating units that are provided along the width direction of the medium and heat the medium support unit, and a control unit capable of individually controlling the plurality of heating units. The control unit controls an output of each of the heating units in accordance with the width of the medium detected by the medium width detection unit.

A printing apparatus includes a liquid ejecting unit capable of ejecting ink, which is a liquid, onto a medium and capable of reciprocating in a width direction (X-axis direction) of the medium, a medium support unit that supports the medium on a support face, a medium width detection unit that detects a width of the medium supported on the support face, a plurality of heating units that are provided along the width direction of the medium and heat the medium support unit, and a control unit capable of individually controlling the plurality of heating units. The control unit controls an output of each of the heating units in accordance with the width of the medium detected by the medium width detection unit.