Friday, October 24, 2008

HP Inkjet Technology Delivers Dialysis

Hewlett Packard has licensed Home Dialysis Plus (HD+) to use HP’s inkjet technology to mix water and concentrated dialysate, a mixture of chemicals used to remove toxins and deliver electrolytes to blood in human body.

HP states mixing the solution helps filter toxins over a longer period, and HP’s smart memory-chip technology will secure the correct dialysate prescription is being delivered consistently to conduct dialysis while the patient is at sleep.

The deal between the two companies came out of HP’s intellectual-property licensing program, and HD+ expects to get its machine onto the market by the end of 2010.

HP says there are many technologies available for licensing that lend themselves well to the health and life-sciences industry, and the company will continue to look for opportunities within a variety of markets so that people can further benefit from HP inventions.

Via TCD blog

Epson Introduces a Recyclable Printer

Epson’s EC-01 inkjet printer is the top product in their new Environmental Vision 2050 initiative. Epson has set the following four key conditions in order to work towards achieving Environmental Vision 2050:

  • Reduction of CO2 emissions by 90% across the entire product life cycle.
  • Inclusion of all products in the resource reuse and recycling loop.
  • Reduction of direct CO2 emissions by 90%, and elimination of global warming gas emissions other than CO2.

The printer is shipped in an unpainted recycled cardboard box, the manual is printed on recycled paper, and the included driver CD is stored within an envelope made of recycled paper. But what really sets this printer apart is that you don’t replace the ink: when the cartridge runs out, you replace the whole printer. Great, huh?

Via TCD blog

Computer Controlled Inkjet-Like Waterfall

Below there’s a video of a waterfall that is controlled by a computer to “printing out” astonishing patterns and pictures. This waterfall is located in Canal City Hakata, a shopping and entertainment complex in Fukuoka, Japan.

As you can see from the video, the waterfall seems to function using same techniques as an inkjet printer. Basically a computer is controlling hundreds of nozzles to precisely deliver water drops so that they fall forming images or texts.