Abstract: An apparatus and method are used to deliver an electrical current to, through or across gingival tissues of a mouth in order to achieve a number of therapeutic, prophylactic, cosmetic, and or regenerative benefits. These benefits include killing or modifying oral microbes, increasing oral vasodilation, reducing oral biofilm, improving oral blood circulation, reversing oral bone resorption, promoting oral osteogenesis, treating gum recession, and fostering gingival regeneration. Other benefits include the treatment of gingivitis, periodontitis, and oral malodor, and other systemic diseases correlated with oral pathogens. Use of systems and methods according to the present invention may effectively tighten epithelial contact with one or more teeth (e.g., by the junctional epithelium and/or the sulcular epithelium) and/or cause a tightening of the oral epithelium, thereby improving an appearance of a human smile.

Abstract: A method for delivery of oral iontophoretic or reverse-iontophoretic effect by electrical current in combination with electrokinetic elements (e.g., ions, charged molecule(s) (such as a medication or a bioactive agent), and/or charged molecular complexes that may include uncharged molecules), the electrical current causing a motive force on such elements to and from biological tissues and fluids.

Abstract: DQPSK modulator control is provided using a single monitor photodiode with a selectively injected dither tone. The dither tone signal is sequentially injected into arm modulators and/or to a modulator driver port in time slots. A tapped signal at the output of the modulator is monitored synchronously with injected dither (I arm, Q arm, or phase modulator in third slot). The recovered dither output from a single photodiode is processed in the same sequence as the dither injection to adjust the bias to the optimal point: I-arm at the null point, Q-arm at the null point, and phase modulator at the quadrature point. This technique can be used for any control where the rate of change of the monitored condition due to systemic or environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, aging, etc.) is slow enough to allow time slot dither injection, monitor, and control.

Abstract: DQPSK modulator control is provided using a single monitor photodiode with a selectively injected dither tone. The dither tone signal is sequentially injected into arm modulators and/or to a modulator driver port in time slots. A tapped signal at the output of the modulator is monitored synchronously with injected dither (I arm, Q arm, or phase modulator in third slot). The recovered dither output from a single photodiode is processed in the same sequence as the dither injection to adjust the bias to the optimal point: I-arm at the null point, Q-arm at the null point, and phase modulator at the quadrature point. This technique can be used for any control where the rate of change of the monitored condition due to systemic or environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, aging, etc.) is slow enough to allow time slot dither injection, monitor, and control.

Abstract: An optical amplifier is added to the input of a photodetector to perform optical pre-amplification of an input optical signal before it is converted to an electrical signal by the photodetector. A controller utilizes a received power level to control a pump power level of a pump injecting pumping light into the optical amplifier. The pump power level is controlled in order to control the optical gain of the optical amplifier. The received power level may be measured by a receiving device that includes the photodetector and a power measuring device. The pump output power level may also be fed back to the controller to monitor the pump. A dual pass EDFA may be used as the optical amplifier and coupled to a selector to save space and reduce noise.

Abstract: An optical amplifier is added to the input of a photodetector to perform optical pre-amplification of an input optical signal before it is converted to an electrical signal by the photodetector. A controller utilizes a received power level to control a pump power level of a pump injecting pumping light into the optical amplifier. The pump power level is controlled in order to control the optical gain of the optical amplifier. The received power level may be measured by a receiving device that includes the photodetector and a power measuring device. The pump output power level may also be fed back to the controller to monitor the pump. A dual pass EDFA may be used as the optical amplifier and coupled to a selector to save space and reduce noise.

Abstract: A receiver node includes an optical amplifier optically coupled to the input of a receiving device such as a PIN photodiode. A controller inputs received power level values from the receiver to perform gain control. The input signal of an optical receiving device is pre-amplified by an optical amplifier such that the amplified signal is within a dynamic range of the receiving device. Windows are utilized to trigger the gain control algorithm such that when the received power level is inside a first window the gain control is turned off. When the received power level is outside the second window, the gain control is turned on. Additional windows may be used to adjust the rate of gain change. The rate of gain change is decreased as the magnitude of the difference between the current received power level and the target received power level decreases. Pump power levels may be fed back to the controller such that a soft limit may be imposed on to limit he maximum pump power and thereby prevent receiver damage.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a plurality of components associated with a communications network node. A diagnostic service signal is generated at an intra-node component and transmitted along a first optical path to another intra-node component where the presence or absence of the signal is detected. In this manner, optical paths defined between intra-nodal components can be monitored using a diagnostic service signal.