The invention relates to a lightweight heater fabric, and more particularly to an active thermal control mechanism for localized controlled heating in vacuum and non-vacuum environments. The fabric consists of two sets of yarns, woven or non-woven, in which one set of the yarns is composed of flexible, electrically conductive metal fibers capable of being resistence heated by the application of electrical voltage. The remaining set of yarns is electrically non-conductive and is used to provide mechanical strength as well as to preclude passage of electrical current between the metal yarns. The non-conductive yarns assure that minimum spacing between metal yarns is maintained. A lightweight, electrically non-conductive plastic film is bonded to the yarns. This sheet-like film protects the metal yarns from the elements (minimizes electrical shorts from moisture, rain or dew), provides additional structural strength, and prevents convective loss of heat in non-vacuum applications. The film is metalized on its obverse side with a metal surface which provides for a more uniform heat load distribution. An X-ray spectrometer for providing imaging and energy resolution of an X-ray source comprised of a thick silicon wafer (10) having an embedded matrix or grid of aluminum completely through the wafer fabricated, for example, by thermal migration. The aluminum matrix defines the walls (16, 18) of a rectangular array of silicon X-ray detector cells (14) or "pixels". A thermally diffused aluminum electrode (20) is also formed centrally through each of the silicon cells (14) with biasing means (22, 26, 28) being connected to the aluminum cell walls (16, 18) and the centralized aluminum electrode (20) for causing lateral charge carrier depletion between the cell walls so that incident X-ray energy causes a photo-electric reaction within the silicon producing collectible charge carriers in the form of electrons which are collected and used for imaging. An apparatus comprising a reciprocally movable body located in a body housing containing a working fluid. A drive motor is coupled to the body for effecting reciprocation of the body within the housing to selectively compress and expand the working fluid. A non-contacting bearing is located on the housing and is operable to center the body in the housing. A non-contacting reduced clearance region between the body and housing restricts undesired flow of the working fluid around the body. The non-contacting bearing and the non-contacting reduced clearance region are operable to eliminate physical contact between the body and the housing. A method and apparatus for safely reducing abnormally high intra-ocular pressure in an eye during glaucoma surgery. A pressure regulator of the spring-biased diaphragm type is provided with additional bias by a column of liquid. The height of the column of liquid is selected such that the pressure at a hypodermic needle connected to the output of the pressure regulator is equal to the measured pressure of the eye. The hypodermic needle can be safely inserted into the anterior chamber of the eye. Liquid is bled out of the column to reduce the bias on the diaphragm of the pressure regulator and the output pressure of the regulator. This lowering pressure of the regulator also occurs in the eye by means of a small second bleed path provided between the pressure regulator and the hypodermic needle. A process for fabricating large area void-free polyimide laminate structures wherein multiple ply polyimide film laminates may be constructed without decreasing the individual film strength and wherein layers of metal foil may be laminated between polyimide film layers to yield a flexible high temperature resistant structure having capabilities for use as flexible electric circuits in aerospace applications and the like. POLYIMIDE FILM POLYIMIDE ADHESIVE POLYIMIDE FILM |