Patent ID: 7645365

Claim:
An ionically conductive ceramic element comprising: a plurality of tubes each having interior and exterior surfaces, and each having a closed end and an open end; a tube support member receiving open ends of the plurality of tubes; the tube support member having a top surface and a bottom surface; a first electrically conductive coating formed on the exterior surfaces of the plurality of tubes; a second electrically conductive coating formed on the interior surfaces of the plurality of tubes; at least one bottom electrically conductive stripe formed on the bottom surface of the tube support member to create electrical connections between two or more selected second electrically conductive coatings on the interior surfaces of the tubes; at least one top electrically conductive stripe formed on the top surface of the tube support member to create electrical connections between two or more selected first electrically conductive coatings on the exterior surfaces of the tubes; the electrically conductive stripes on the top extend to and over an edge of the tube support member and the electrically conductive stripes on the bottom extend to and over the edge of the tube support member; and the top stripes and the bottom stripes are electrically connected in promimity to an edge of the tube support member in such a way that at least one stripe on the top connecting one row of tubes is electrically connected to at least one stripe on the bottom connecting an adjacent row of tubes.