Abstract: An apparatus 100 for sensing a physiological parameter of a subject comprises a force sensor 102 configured to generate a first signal representing force displacement of an organ of the subject and a displacement sensor 104 associated with the force sensor 102. The displacement sensor 104 is configured to generate a second signal representing displacement velocity of the organ of the subject. A coupler 106 is arranged on one of the force sensor 102 and the displacement sensor 104, the coupler 106 being configured to mechanically couple the force sensor 102 and the displacement sensor 104 with the organ.

Abstract: An add/drop multiplexer node in an optical network comprises an optical channel-selective switch. The switch is operable in bar and cross states and has a first input for the reception of optical multiplexed channels, a second input connected to an output on a line terminal associated with the node for adding channels, a first output, which is bar coupled to the first input and connected to a line terminal input for dropping channels and a second output, which is bar coupled to the second input. A predetermined number of channels to be dropped are selected and the channel-selective switch cross-couples non-selected channels from the first input to the second output.

Abstract: A communication network system having at least three nodes, which are interconnected by transmission links carrying traffic to and from the nodes. The transmission links are divided into a working ring and a protection ring where the working ring and the protection ring can transmit traffic in opposite directions. A node is able to detect when an error occurs in the surrounding transmission links or the node itself. Each node can, by itself, divert traffic from the working ring to the protection ring and/or from the protection ring to the working ring. A recovery action is performed when the error is healed.