Abstract: Flexible composite material is provided upon which a facsimile message containing both confidential and non-confidential information can be recorded. In general, the composite material comprises a recording layer and a cover layer. The cover layer is disposed over a substantial portion of the recording layer to define a confidential message recording area and a non-confidential message recording area. The cover layer has a plurality of transverse perforation lines formed along the longitudinal extent of the cover layer. The transverse perforation lines are spaced apart in parallel fashion, and each pair of adjacent perforation lines forms a cover layer strip that can be selectively removed. One or more of the cover layer strips bear preprinted instructions as to how to reveal the non-confidential area without revealing the confidential message.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for mechanically-assisted liposuction treatment. The apparatus includes a hand-holdable housing, a cannula assembly, and a reciprocation mechanism. The hand-holdable housing has a cavity adaptable for receipt of a portion of the cannula assembly. The cannula assembly includes an inner cannula and an outer cannula, each having a distal end and a proximal end and at least one aspiration aperture about the distal end. The inner cannula is disposed within the outer cannula and the inner and outer aspiration apertures are in at least partial registration to form an effective aspiration aperture. The reciprocation mechanism is disposed within the housing and is operably associated with either the inner or outer cannula so that one of the cannulas can be selectively caused to reciprocate relative to the housing while the other is stationarily disposed relative to the housing.

Abstract: A porous mesh for use in forming articles comprising a network of pores and protrusions. The porous mesh has a specifically delineated mesh structure having a pore/protrusion size between 25 and 1000 microns and the pore structure is based on a uniform distribution of pores and protrusions on a cast or molded sheet wherein said pores and protrusions have similar effective diameters.

Abstract: A fully automatic bar code symbol reading system having an hand-supportable laser bar code reading device which can be used in either an automatic hands-on mode of operation, or in an automatic hands-free mode of operation. The system includes a scanner support frame for supporting the hand-supportable device in a user-selected mounting position, and permits complete gripping of its handle portion prior to its use in the hands-on mode of operation. In general, the hand-supportable bar code reading device has long-range and short-range modes of object detection, bar code presence detection and bar code symbol reading. The long-range mode is automatically selected when the hand-supportable bar code reading device is placed within the scanner support stand during the automatic hands-free mode of operation.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for automatically reading bar code symbols is disclosed. One aspect of the present invention concerns a method of reading bar code symbols using an automatic hand-holdable bar code symbol reading device. In general, the automatic bar code symbol reading device comprises a hand-holdable housing containing operative elements which provide an object detection field and a scan field each defined external to the housing. The method involves automatically detecting the presence of an object within the object detection field by sensing energy reflected off the object. In a preferred embodiment, the object sensing energy is IR radiation produced from an energy reflects off the object source disposed within the housing. In automatic response to the detection of the object within the object detection field, the hand-holdable device detects the presence of a bar code within the scan field using a laser beam produced within the housing.

Abstract: A process is provided for separating minerals from a mixture of minerals having different densities. The minerals are provided in the comminuted state to liberate the minerals one from the other, following which the minerals are slurried in an aqueous solution of lithium metatungstate selected to provide a density between the densities of the minerals to be separated, whereby the minerals having a density greater than that of the solution will sink and the minerals having a density less than that of the solution will float.

Abstract: To detect an impact due to a shock with high precision and stability, a shock sensor is employed which provides a sufficiently long closure interval of a contact of a reed switch (1) enough to carry out signal processing. A gap between an outer surface of a magnet (2) and an inner wall (8) of a housing (7) defining a passage for the magnet (2) comprises a first gap (G1) between a stationary position and an activating position and a second gap (G2) between the activating position and a stop position. The inner wall (8) is formed so that the first gap (G1) is greater than the second gap (G2). The velocity of the magnet (2) is lower when travelling in the second gap (G2) than the velocity in the first gap (G1) because air resistance is greater in the second gap (G2). Accordingly, the closure interval is increased.

Abstract: Hair clasping and brushing device and method of styling hair using the same. The device is capable of being arranged in a brushing configuration for brushing hair and in a clasping configuration for clasping hair, and generally comprises a clasp frame, a brush assembly, a clasp bar, a hinge mechanism, and a releasable clasp locking mechanism. The clasp frame has a first clasp frame end portion, a second clasp frame end portion, and an intermediate clasp frame portion disposed therebetween. The brush assembly is disposed along the intermediate clasp frame portion, for brushing hair. The clasp bar has a first clasp bar end portion, a second clasp bar end portion, and an intermediate clasp bar portion disposed therebetween, which is capable of being grasped in the hand of a user.

Abstract: A coin throwing port restricting mechanism 10 enables substantial restriction of a configuration of a coin throwing port 4 by means of a simply handling thereof. Such a coin throwing port restricting mechanism 10 contributes to provide a coin throwing device which has only one coin throwing port 4 and which can receive many kinds of coins of different sizes. The coin throwing port restricting mechanism 10 comprises a ring 11 and an arm 12. The ring 11 which serves as a fixing member surrounds the coin throwing port 4. The arm 12 extends from the inner periphery of the ring 11 to the center thereof in a manner that it faces front to the coin throwing port 4. The extending length and the extending width of the arm 12 are selectable depending on the diameter and the thickness of the coin. Thus, the configuration of the coin throwing port 4 can be restricted without modifying the shape thereof.

Abstract: A valve construction wherein the rotor shaft of a reversible electric motor is axially displaceable between axially spaced elements of a differential-screw system for driven displacement of a valve member. Each of these spaced elements is preferably a ball screw, independently co-operative with upper and lower regions of the rotor shaft, i.e., at the respective upper and lower sides of the rotor carried by the shaft. The valve of the invention and its control and drive system are contained within a housing which fixedly mounts (a) the ball-screw nut of the upper element of the differential-screw system and (b) the stator of the motor, so that motor-driven rotation results in axial displacement of the rotor and its shaft, pursuant to the helical advance lead or pitch of the upper ball-screw nut.

Abstract: An assembly is disclosed for mounting on an inclined planar surface, a light fixture suspended by at least one fixture suspension cable and provided with at least one power cord. In general, the mounting assembly comprises a mounting base, and first and second suspension means. The mounting base is for attachment to a planar structure disposed relative to a reference plane, and includes at least one power cord suspension aperture. The first suspension means is operably associated with the mounting base and is adapted for attachment to one end of the fixture cable. The second suspension means is mounted through the power cord suspension aperture and is adapted for attachment to a portion of the power cord. The first suspension means and the second suspension means each permit pivotal movement of the fixture suspension cable and the power cord, respectively, that is, relative to the mounting base, and the first suspension means and the second suspension means are operable independent of each other.

Abstract: A flotation system to support rehabilitation of patients in an aquatic environment. The system includes a restriction pad to limit the level of flexing associated with select aquatic exercises and pathologies. In addition, the system includes two symmetrically opposed outriggers connected to the upper float section for increase stability during use along with a strapping system on all sections to decrease movement on the device.The rehabilitation float system of the present invention permits patient access to aquatic based exercises even when the patient is handicapped or being rehabilitated from a significant and disabling trauma.

Abstract: Tungsten and molybdenum powders are advantageously conditioned for metal injection molding by fluid energy milling the powder prior to batching. A preferred method of conditioning, jet milling, has been found to beneficially effect the particle characteristics to render the metal powder more suitable for injection molding.

Abstract: For protection of the otherwise sharp protruding end of a given instrument for use in ophthalmic or other surgery, as when the instrument is to be used only after it has traversed the major part of a scleral tunnel, a shiftable guard or shield is manipulable after it has served its function of avoiding damage to hemorrhageable tissues adjacent tunnel-wall tissue, thereby exposing the sharp end only after safely passing the hemorrhageable region. Various embodiments are described.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for buffering data packets in a data communication controller. The communication controller is interfaced with a host processor and includes a control unit for accessing a communication medium. Each data packet to be transmitted or received is assigned a packet number. Packet number assignment is carried out by a memory management unit within the communication controller which dynamically allocates to each assigned packet number one or more pages in a data packet buffer memory for the storage of the corresponding data packet. Upon issuing the assigned packet number, the physical addresses of the allocated pages of data packet buffer memory storage space are generated in a manner transparent to both the host processor and the control unit.

Abstract: The invention contemplates controlled ablation of the cornea, using ultraviolet laser radiation, wherein irradiated flux density and exposure time are so controlled as to achieve desired depth of the ablation. Sculpturing action results from precharacterized distribution of flux density across the cross-section of laser-beam projection, in the context of beam size, at cornea incidence, to match the area to be ablated, and the duration of exposure determines the extent of curvature change. Illustrative techniques and situations are disclosed, for myopia correction, for hyperopia correction, and for astigmatism correction.

Abstract: A compound of formula (I): ##STR1## or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein: R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may each represent hydrogen or alkyl providing that at least one of R.sup.1 or R.sup.2 represents alkyl;R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 each represent hydrogen or R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 together represent a bond;n represents an integer 1 or 2;and m represents an integer 1 or 2; a composition containing such a compound and the method of using such compounds and compositions in medicine.

Abstract: Non-invasive therapeutic treatment and/or quantitative evaluation of bone tissue are performed in vivo, by subjecting bone to an ultrasonic acoustic signal pulse of finite duration, and involving a composite sine-wave signal consisting of plural discrete frequencies that are spaced in the ultrasonic region to approximately 2 MHz; the excitation signal is repeated substantially in the range 1 to 1000 Hz.In a quantitative evaluation, the composite sine-wave signal is supplied to one of two transducers on opposite sides of the bone, and the signal received by the other transducer is processed (a) to sequentially average the most recently received given number of successive signals to obtain an averaged per-pulse signal and (b) to produce a Fourier transform of the averaged per-pulse bone-transmitted signal.

Abstract: A manufacturing process to produce a laryngeal mask substantially as described in UK Patent GB2205499B consists in a mould which manufactures the inflatable annular ring formation of the device in an inverted form. This allows a more rigid core in the cavity mould or alternatively a dip-moulding process, which in turn permits greater accuracy in control of wall thickness. An alternative form of the mould eliminates the need to assemble a further component, by incorporating the latter into the same single moulding process. And in a further alternative embodiment, the same single moulding process additionally provides an integrally formed inlet for oesophagus drainage, independent of the larynx-venting function of the mask per se.

Abstract: A coin feeding device is provided comprising a base plate adapted for mounting predetermined coins on one end thereof, including a scraper for scraping the coins towards the other or opposite end of the base plate along a predetermined coin feeding path. The scraper comprises a main rotating body rotatably mounted on the base plate and includes a coin feeding wing unit or finger assembly extending radially outwardly from the main rotating body. The coin feeding wing unit or finger assembly is used for feeding the coins to the other or opposite end of the base plate while traveling along the coin feeding path by virtue of the rotation of the main rotating body. The coin-feeding device includes a movable engagement piece biased to force one of the coins against the main rotating body along the coin feeding path.