Abstract: There is described a system for producing electrical energy and utilizing associated heat. The system includes a source of fuel, a source of oxygen and a solid oxide fuel cell configured to oxidize the fuel to create electrical energy and heat. The system also includes at least one unit configured to utilize heat generated by the solid oxide fuel cell. This at least one unit is selected from the group consisting of: a solid waste pyrolysis unit; a hydrothermal carbonization unit; a water distillation unit; a water pasteurization unit; a water heating unit; a room heating and cooling unit; and a biomass drying unit. In a second aspect, the invention is a system for providing utilities used in a multi-residence complex.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making clear ice utilizes an insulated cooler tray, a container, and degassed water arranged in the container. The container includes a chamber in an upper portion and at least and preferably a plurality of receptacles in a lower portion, with the chamber and receptacles being filled with degassed water. The container is arranged in the cooler tray which includes a greater amount of insulating material in the bottom of the tray than in the top. When the container and cooler tray are arranged in a freezer, the tray causes directional freezing of the degassed water which forces any residual gas or air in the water to the bottom of the container into the receptacles. When directional freezing is complete, the bottom portion of the container may be broken away and the clear ice product removed from the container chamber for use.

Abstract: Devices, systems and methods are provided for controlling the operation of a breathing assistance device for a user. The controller may include an input for receiving sensor data to measure at least one airflow parameter of the user's airflow; a memory unit that stores at least one machine learning model and at least one classifier or predictor; and a processor that is configured to perform measurements and to generate a control signal for adjusting the operation of the breathing assistance device for a current monitoring time period by: obtaining measured air pressure and/or airflow data and measured FOT data during a current monitoring time period; performing feature extraction on the measured data to obtain feature values that are used by the machine learning model employed by the at least one classifier or predictor to determine a property of the user; and adjusting the control signal based on the determined property.

Abstract: Devices, systems and methods are provided for controlling the operation of a breathing assistance device for a user. The controller may include an input for receiving sensor data to measure at least one airflow parameter of the user's airflow; a memory unit that stores at least one machine learning model and at least one classifier or predictor; and a processor that is configured to perform measurements and to generate a control signal for adjusting the operation of the breathing assistance device for a current monitoring time period by: obtaining measured air pressure and/or airflow data and measured FOT data during a current monitoring time period; performing feature extraction on the measured data to obtain feature values that are used by the machine learning model employed by the at least one classifier or predictor to determine a property of the user; and adjusting the control signal based on the determined property.

Abstract: An anesthetic circuit is provided for treating a patient. The anesthetic circuit includes a membrane having a plurality of hollow fibers. Also provided is a fluid separation apparatus connectable to an anesthetic circuit. In a further embodiment, a method is provided for anesthetic treatment of a patient.

Abstract: An anesthetic circuit is provided for treating a patient. The anesthetic circuit includes a membrane having a plurality of hollow fibers. Also provided is a fluid separation apparatus connectable to an anesthetic circuit. In a further embodiment, a method is provided for anesthetic treatment of a patient.

Abstract: An anesthetic circuit is provided for treating a patient. The anesthetic circuit includes a membrane having a plurality of hollow fibers. Also provided is a fluid separation apparatus connectable to an anesthetic circuit. In a further embodiment, a method is provided for anesthetic treatment of a patient.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing a salt from a source solution is provided. The apparatus comprises a feed vessel, a collection vessel, and an ion transport channel in ionic communication with the feed vessel and the collection vessel. A plurality of electrodes is arranged along the ion transport channel. The method comprises receiving the source solution in a feed vessel, receiving the sink solution in a collection vessel, and applying periodic voltage signals to a plurality of electrodes arranged along an ion transport channel which is in ionic communication with the feed vessel and the collection vessel. The periodic voltage signals applied to at least some of the respective electrodes are phase offset to induce the ions to move through the ion transport channel from the source solution to the sink solution.

Abstract: An adaptor is provided for a games console which allows users to gain access to interactive television services through the games console. The adaptor includes a television tuner for receiving broadcast television channels, a communications controller which controls communications between the adaptor and the games console and an interface for interfacing the adaptor to the games console. In a preferred embodiment, the adaptor also includes a hard disc for storing video data and for storing game history data. The adaptor may also include a modem via which the user can gain access to remote servers connected to a data network.

Abstract: A method of providing anesthesia and organ-protection to a subject in need thereof comprises co-administering to the subject a non-anesthetic protective gas in an amount effect to provide organ protection, and a liquid anesthetic agent in an amount effective to provide anesthesia, at normobaric conditions.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing a salt from a source solution is provided. The apparatus comprises a feed vessel, a collection vessel, and an ion transport channel in ionic communication with the feed vessel and the collection vessel. A plurality of electrodes is arranged along the ion transport channel. The method comprises receiving the source solution in a feed vessel, receiving the sink solution in a collection vessel, and applying periodic voltage signals to a plurality of electrodes arranged along an ion transport channel which is in ionic communication with the feed vessel and the collection vessel. The periodic voltage signals applied to at least some of the respective electrodes are phase offset to induce the ions to move through the ion transport channel from the source solution to the sink solution.

Abstract: An anesthetic circuit is provided for treating a patient. The anesthetic circuit includes a membrane having a plurality of hollow fibers. Also provided is a fluid separation apparatus connectable to an anesthetic circuit. In a further embodiment, a method is provided for anesthetic treatment of a patient.

Abstract: Electrostatic devices, systems and methods are presented. One embodiment is an electrostatic device including a substrate, a first electrode disposed on the substrate, a movable element having a second electrode and a control electrode. The control electrode is disposed in electrostatic communication with the movable element. The control electrode includes a protection layer having resistivity in a range of from about 1 ohm-cm to about 10 kohm-cm.

Abstract: Optical detection systems and optical spectrometric systems are presented. One embodiment is a parallelized optical detection system. The detection system includes collector optics configured to receive an input optical signal, a plurality of optical filters and a plurality of tunable cavities. The collector optics includes at least one collector lens and at least one fiber multiplexer. The plurality of optical filters are configured to receive the input optical signal from the fiber multiplexer, and have serially varying pass band configured to filter the input optical signal at respective bandwidths. Each of the plurality of tunable cavities is optically coupled to each filter of the respective plurality of optical filters to receive a respective filtered output signal. The plurality of tunable cavities have band-pass frequencies with center frequencies staggered.

Abstract: An electrical through-connection, or via, that passes through a substrate to a bus on a first surface of the substrate. The via may be configured with an interlock such that the electrically conductive core of the via is constrained to thermally expand towards the second surface, away from the bus, thus preventing damage to the bus. The interlock may be a local constriction or enlargement of the via near the first surface of the substrate. The via may be greater in length along the bus than a unit spacing of beams in a parallel microswitch array actuated in unison along the bus. The via may be narrower in width than in length, and may form a trapezoidal geometry that is larger at the second surface of the substrate than at the first surface.

Abstract: A sentence wheel comprising four circular disks, each having a different diameter. The disks are ordered sequentially, by diameter, superimposed concentrically, with an outermost portion of each disk in view. The disks are joined, by a rivet, in independently rotatable relation, about a common axis. The disk of smallest and largest diameter being a first and last disk, respectively, and the two disks of intermediate diameter being medial disks. A plurality of word sets are imprinted outwardly along a radius, in circumferentially spaced relation on the outermost portion, of each of the disks. The disks may be rotated to position one of the word sets on each disk along a common radius of the sentence wheel for forming a sentence. Pronouns or proper nouns are imprinted on the first disk, nouns are imprinted on the last disk, and auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries, and verbs are imprinted on the medial disks.

Abstract: Electrostatic devices, systems and methods are presented. One embodiment is an electrostatic device including a substrate, a first electrode disposed on the substrate, a movable element having a second electrode and a control electrode. The control electrode is disposed in electrostatic communication with the movable element. The control electrode includes a protection layer having resistivity in a range of from about 1 ohm-cm to about 10 kohm-cm.

Abstract: A piezoelectric planar composite apparatus to provide health monitoring of a structure and associated methods are provided. The piezoelectric planar composite apparatus includes a piezoelectric electric material layer, multiple electrodes positioned in electrical contact with the piezoelectric material layer, and multiple sets of electrode interconnect conductors each positioned in electrical contact with a different subset of the electrodes and positioned to form multiple complementary electrode patterns. Each of the complementary electrode patterns is positioned to form an electric field having an electric field axis oriented along a different physical axis from that of an electric field formed by at least one other of the complementary electrode patterns. The interconnect conductors can be distributed over several electrode interconnect conductor carrying layers to enhance formation of the different complementary electrode patterns.

Abstract: A system and method for managing optical power for controlling thermal alteration of a sample undergoing spectroscopic analysis is provided. The system includes a moveable laser beam generator for irradiating the sample and a beam shaping device for moving and shaping the laser beam to prevent thermal overload or build up in the sample. The moveable laser beam generator includes at least one beam shaping device selected from the group consisting of at least one optical lens, at least one optical diffractor, at least one optical path difference modulator, at least one moveable mirror, at least one Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) integrated circuit (IC), and/or a liquid droplet. The system also includes an at least two degree of freedom (2 DOF) moveable substrate platform and a controller for controlling the laser beam generator and the substrate platform, and for analyzing light reflected from the sample.

Abstract: The PIP system enables display of a mosaic of favorite channels in a Picture-in-Picture (PIP) format to a subscriber terminal. Picture-in-Picture support is efficiently provided by sending only I-Frames of the secondary video channel to the end-user. That is, any unnecessary packets (null, B-P frames, audio, etc.) in the secondary video channel are stripped away. This method uses very little bandwidth and is STB agnostic.