Abstract: A method for processing a thermoplastic material that comprises a microwave-sensitive polymeric region, wherein the method includes exposing the microwave-sensitive polymeric region to microwaves; wherein the exposing results in an increase in the temperature of the polymeric region; and processing the thermoplastic material is disclosed.

Abstract: A microwave-sensitive thermoplastic composition that includes a microwave-receptive additive; and a thermoplastic polymer; wherein the microwave-receptive additive is selected from the group consisting of sepiolite clay, molecular sieves formed from ammonium ion salts or hydrogen ion salts, aluminophosphates, silicoaluminophasphates, silicotitanates, organo-modified clays, molecular sieves or zeolites having a caged organic microwave receptive material, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A microwave-sensitive thermoplastic composition that includes a microwave-receptive additive; and a thermoplastic polymer; wherein the microwave-receptive additive is selected from the group consisting of sepiolite clay, molecular sieves formed from ammonium ion salts or hydrogen ion salts, aluminophosphates, silicoaluminophasphates, silicotitanates, organo-modified clays, molecular sieves or zeolites having a caged organic microwave receptive material, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A method to measure compliance with a pharmaceutical regimen, by the steps of: (a) ingesting a dose of a medication (10) into the gastrointestinal tract of a person, the dose of medication (10) comprising a drug formulation (13) and a permanent magnet (14); (b) as a result of the ingestion of step (a), detecting passage of the permanent magnet (14) past at least two magnetic field sensors (20) positioned apart from each other and adjacent to the gastrointestinal tract; and (c) measuring compliance with the pharmaceutical regimen by way of the detection of step (b).

Abstract: A method for processing a thermoplastic material that comprises a microwave-sensitive polymeric region, wherein the method includes exposing the microwave-sensitive polymeric region to microwaves; wherein the exposing results in an increase in the temperature of the polymeric region; and processing the thermoplastic material is disclosed.

Abstract: An improved upper capsule portion (62) of an oral drug delivery capsule (60) that includes an upper capsule portion (62) and a lower cup shaped capsule portion (64), the lower cup shaped capsule portion (64) containing a medical formulation (66), the lower capsule portion (64) being made of a material that disperses in gastrointestinal fluid, the lower capsule portion (64) having a mouth, the upper capsule portion (62) dimensioned to engage with the mouth of the lower capsule portion (64). The improvement is the positioning of a communication device, such as an RFID tag (90), on or integrally with the upper capsule portion (62) so that the communication device can communicate that the oral drug delivery capsule has been ingested. An alternate embodiment with an improved lower capsule portion is also disclosed.

Abstract: A device useful for oral drug delivery device consisting of: (a) a capsule, tablet or pill designed to disperse in the gastrointestinal system; (b) an RFID tag positioned in the capsule, tablet or pill, the RFID tag comprising an antenna; (c) an object selected from the group consisting of a magnet, a ferromagnetic object, a ferrite object and an electromagnetic shielding object positioned within, over or adjacent the antenna of the RFID tag to alter the antenna characteristics of the RFID tag so that if the RFID tag is interrogated before the capsule, tablet or pill disperses in the gastrointestinal system, the response of the RFID tag is sufficiently altered or attenuated to determine that the capsule, tablet or pill has not dispersed in the gastrointestinal system and so that if the RFID tag is interrogated after the capsule, tablet or pill has dispersed in the gastrointestinal system, the object separates from the RFID tag so that the response of the RFID tag is sufficiently detectable to determine that t

Abstract: This invention relates to structures which display negative magnetic permeability in response to a relatively broad range of wavelengths. This invention further relates to manufacture of negative magnetic permeability or negative electric permittivity structures by rapid prototyping methods. Finally, this invention relates to structures which display negative permittivity and negative permeability and are open cell structures.

Abstract: Methods of synthesizing stable oscillatory chemical systems from chemical systems having at least one output dynamically related to at least one input are provided. The output and input of the chemical system are selected such that a dynamic relation exists between the input/output pair. The chemical pair is then analyzed to determine whether the response of said output to a change in the input is a cumulative response or resilient response. If the input/output response relationship of the selected input/output pair is determined to be resilient, then the methods require connecting a feedback block between said output and said input, said feedback having non-linear dynamics and inverting preaction hysteresis characteristics, or optionally repeating the selection and analysis steps with the different input/output pair until said output exhibits a cumulative response to a change in the input.