Abstract: A solid state detector with alpha rhombohedral red boron is disclosed. The solid state detector detects neutrons, especially thermal neutrons. The detector may include a body of alpha rhombohedral red boron disposed between electrodes, a power supply for applying a voltage to said electrodes, and a detecting device that detects and measures a current pulse emitted from said body of alpha rhombohedral red boron to detect the neutrons.

Abstract: A solid state detector with alpha rhombohedral red boron is disclosed. The solid state detector detects neutrons, especially thermal neutrons. The detector may include a body of alpha rhombohedral red boron disposed between electrodes, a power supply for applying a voltage to said electrodes, and a detecting device that detects and measures a current pulse emitted from said body of alpha rhombohedral red boron to detect the neutrons.

Abstract: Devices and related methods are provided for irradiating a portion of a body. A device according to one embodiment can include a radiation needle, a fluorescent target, and an x-ray transmitting window. The radiation needle can include a radiation conduit having a first and second end for passing primary x-rays. An x-ray generator can generate the primary x-rays and pass the primary x-rays from the first end to second end. The fluorescent target can connect to the second end for absorbing the primary x-rays and produce by fluorescence secondary x-rays for irradiating a predetermined portion of the body. The fluorescent target having a surface for absorbing the primary x-rays to fluoresce and emit said secondary x-rays. The x-ray transmitting window can be positioned adjacent to the fluorescent target such that the secondary x-rays exit through the x-ray transmitting window. The secondary x-rays can irradiate target tissue within the body.

Abstract: A method to reduce vascular injury produced by lithotripter shock waves comprising the use of particular multi-pulsed shock waves which comminute human concretions with reduced vascular damage.

Abstract: A method to reduce vascular injury produced by lithotripter shock waves comprising the use of particular multi-pulsed shock waves which comminute human concretions with reduced vascular damage.

Abstract: This invention discloses an apparatus and method for producing microcavitational activity in aqueous fluids for non-invasive macromolecule delivery into living cells. A standard electrohydraulic shock wave lithotripter is fitted with an adjustable ring reflector that shares the same foci as the standard lithotripter hemi-ellipsoidal reflector. A small portion of the spherical shock wave, generated by the spark discharge at the first focus (F1), is reflected and diffracted by the ring reflector, resulting in a weak preceding shock wave approximately 8.5 &mgr;s in front of the lithotripter shock wave reflected and diffracted by the hemi-ellipsoidal reflector. The peak negative pressure of the preceding weak shock wave or pulse at F2 can be adjusted from −0.96 to −1.91 MPa, using an output voltage of 25 kV. Living cells are exposed to the preceding shock wave and the lithotripter shock wave.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards the provision of ionizing radiation from an extracorporeal source to the interior of an internal body cavity or lumen and the dispersion of this radiation across a desired area of diseased tissue. The invention consists of an extracorporeal radiation source, a flexible catheter containing at least one hollow conduit for the transportation of the radiation along a curved path, an entrance portion to the catheter for the capture of the radiation, and an x-ray dispersive closure cap at the distal end of the catheter for the dispersion of the radiation within the body cavity or lumen and onto a specific area of tissue. This invention can be used to destroy cancerous regions within the body, such as in the pulmonary system, as well as for applications in the vasculature and other internal regions of the living body.

Abstract: The invention discloses a microsecond tandem-pulse electrohydraulic shock wave generator for the comminution of concretions in vivo by controlled, concentrated cavitation energy. This apparatus generates a primary and a secondary shock wave pulse with a specified time delay in microseconds and pressure relationships, with the primary shock wave pulse being used to induce a transient cavitation bubble cluster near the target concretion, and the secondary shock wave pulse consisting of a sequence of reflected pulses producing a pulse that is substantially compressive to control and force the collapse of the cavitation bubble cluster towards the target concretion. This microsecond tandem-pulse is produced by the use of a plurality of ellipsoidal reflecting surfaces of the same focal length, but different major and minor axes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the comminution of concretions in vivo by controlled, concentrated cavitation energy. This method utilizes two shock wave pulses with a specified time delay and pressure relationship, with the first shock wave pulse being used to induce a transient cavitation bubble cluster near the target concretion, and the second shock wave pulse to control and force the collapse of the cavitation bubble cluster towards the target concretion with concentrated energy deposition, while avoiding injury to surrounding tissue caused by random collapse of the cavitation bubbles. This invention makes it possible to significantly enhance the fragmentation efficiency of the concretion using shock waves while reducing potential deleterious injury to surrounding tissue.

Abstract: Turbine engine alloys modified by the addition of small amounts of gold are found to have improved properties over similar alloys that do not contain Au. These improved alloys have special application in gas turbines and jet engines. Preferred composition ranges are (36 to 45) wt % Ni-(25 to 32) wt % Fe-(16 to 21) wt % Cr-(0.3 to 0.4) wt % Al-(0.3 to 0.4) wt % Ti-(0.6 to 0.8) wt % Mn-(0.3 to 0.4) wt % Cu-(0.02 to 0.05) wt % C-(0.02 to 20) wt % Au and (44 to 56) wt % Fe-(20 to 26) wt % Ni-(12 to 16) wt % Cr-(1 to 1.3) wt % Mo-(1.7 to 2.2) wt % Ti-(0.2 to 0.3) wt % V-(0.15 to 0.21) wt % Al-(0.001 to 0.003) wt % B-(0.15 to 0.21) wt % Mn-(0.3 to 0.7) wt % Si-(0.02 to 0.05) wt % C-(0.02 to 20) wt % Au.

Abstract: Turbine engine alloys modified by the addition of small amounts of gold are found to have improved properties over similar alloys that do not contain Au. These improved alloys have special application in gas turbines and jet engines. A preferred composition range is (46 to 59) wt % Ni-(10 to 14) wt % Co-(15 to 20) wt % Cr-(1 to 1.5) wt % Al-(2.2 to 3.2) wt % Ti-(3.3 to 4.4) wt % Mo-(0.02 to 0.08) wt % C-(0.05 to 0.06) wt % Zr-(0.004 to 0.006) wt % B-(0.02 to 20) wt % Au.

Abstract: Fuel cells containing an anode of molten metal into which carbon has been dissolved, and a carbon-ion electrolyte, can be improved by making the molten metal the same that used as the cation in the solid carbon-ion electrolyte. Molten metals so selected are advantageous to use with carbon-ion electrolytes with the fluorite or perovskite prototype crystal structures. The improved device is an electrochemical fuel cell consisting of a cathode in contact with oxygen, an anode of liquid metal, especially molten metals of the lanthanide group or actinide group containing dissolved carbon, and a lanthanide- or actinide-containing carbon-ion electrolyte separating the anode and cathode electrodes.

Abstract: Carbon-ion electrolytes, combined into a fuel cell containing an electrode of liquid metal into which carbon or coal has been dissolved, can be used for producing electric power by the flameless combustion of coal via an electrochemical process. The resulting device is an electrochemical cell consisting of a cathodic electrode in contact with oxygen, an anodic electrode of liquid metal solvent containing dissolved carbon, and a carbon-ion electrolyte separating the anode and cathode electrodes.

Abstract: A multistep process is disclosed which enables hermetically sealed, durable, long-lasting illumination devices which utilize electrical discharges through inert gas and inert gas/mercury vapor mixtures to be produced in an essentially flat-plate configuration without the use of glass tubing to contain the discharge. This process utilizes plates of glass having a particular range of thermal expansion coefficients for the preparation of these display devices through the discovery of a heating/cooling process that enables these thick glass assemblies to be produced rapidly yet without cracking and without significant residual air or water vapor contamination and which includes the heat sealing of a evacuation/backfilling tubulation in the same sequence and also includes the unique feature of the inclusion of finely divided powder in the inert gas chamber which, when subjected to the heating/cooling cycle, acts to getter residual air and water vapor from the inert gas.

Abstract: An illumination device utilizes an electrical discharge through inert gas especially neon, argon, and mercury vapor or mixtures thereof, the electrical discharge being contained within two or more vitreous plates and confined within one or more channels within the vitreous plates. These channels, in combination with evacuation and gas filling means, provide one or more ionization chambers, the chambers being further provided with integral electrodes in combination with means for both thermally shielding the integral electrodes from the vitreous plates and for prevention of adhesion of the electrodes from the vitreous plates during the thermal sealing of the vitreous plates to form the ionization chamber or chambers.

Abstract: This invention provides an illumination device capable of producing large animated displays using glowing neon or other noble gases without the need for a source of high voltage as is required in normal neon signs. By means of large numbers of electrode pairs, gas discharge across the gas passage rather than along the gas passage enables low voltages to excite the flowing gas discharge while still giving the appearance of the continuous discharge seen in normal neon signs. The use of mixtures of luminescent phosphors of different luminescent decay times allows the hue of the illumination device to be electrically controlled by means of the frequency with which the discharge is excited. The controlled, sequential activation of any given electrode pair further allows the illumination device to give the appearance of animation, and the use of front and rear mirrors enables an infinite series of multiple, animated, illuminated images to be displayed.

Abstract: A method for comminuting kidney stones including treating a stone to be comminuted with a renal matrix-attacking substance and applying acoustic impulses to the stone so as to pulverize the stone into fragments small enough to be passed through the ureter and urethra.

Abstract: A method for comminuting kidney stones including treating a stone to be comminuted with a surface energy-lowering solution and applying acoustic impulses to the stone so as to pulverize the stone into fragments small enough to be passed through the ureter and urethra.

Abstract: X-rays can be physically reflected from surfaces under certain conditions and quantitative measurements of the reflected X-ray intensity around the critical angle for X-ray reflection may be utilized to provide a method for the chemical analysis of very thin surface layers or thin films including adsorbed organic films. This method of chemical analysis is based on different physical principles than the well-known X-ray diffraction or fluorescence methods. The X-ray reflection method for the chemical analysis of thin surface layers depends on the influence of the X-ray absorptivity of the surface layers upon the concommitant angular or wavelength dependence of the intensity of the reflected X-ray. Because the reflected wave does not significantly penetrate the sample, the sample depth for chemical analysis by the reflected X-ray beam can be very thin, for example about 100 angstroms in thickness.

Abstract: The invention provides a gas discharge point of purchase display device. This device utilizes two flat vitreous glass plates, one of which contains a continuous channel of any desired shape, and together which form an ionization chamber. These vitreous plates are transparent; however provision is made for the incorporation of an opaque cover layer that conforms to the desired final illuminated geometry and which thus serves to obscure specified channel regions. The simple design of this sign makes possible the construction of these devices in quantity and at a relatively low cost by mass production methods.