Abstract: On-board ILS ethyl alcohol sensors based on intracavity laser spectroscopy (ILS) are provided for detecting the presence of ethyl alcohol vapors in a vehicle. The sensor comprises: (a) a laser comprising a gain medium having two opposed facets within a laser resonator and functioning as an intracavity spectroscopic device having a first end and a second end, the first end operatively associated with a partially reflecting (i.e., partially transmitting) surface; (b) a reflective or dispersive optical element (e.g.

Abstract: An improved track assembly for TV, video and motion picture camera dollys. The inventive assembly includes first and second rail sections. The rail sections are connected by first and second spreaders. Each spreader is pivotally connected to the rails at each end of the spreader. The spreaders retain the first and second rails in a parallel offset relation in a first, deployed, position at which the first and second spreaders are disposed at a ninety degree angle relative to the first and second rails. In a particular embodiment, the first spreaders are coupled to one another by a set of fasteners which are connected to one spreader at one end and hooked onto another spreader at the other end. In the illustrative embodiment, the first and second rails include a male connector at a first end and a female connector at a second end, whereby each female connector on each rail is adapted to receive and retain a male connector from an abutting rail. Each of the rails has a uniform circular cross-sectional area.

Abstract: An electrosurgical instrument and method for making and using the same are provided. The electrosurgical instrument includes a stainless steel blade having two major opposed surfaces connected by two edge surfaces, with each surface plated with an intermediate layer comprising a substantially non-toxic metal having a hardness of at least about 130 on a Knoop scale and an electrical resistivity not exceeding about 15 microhm-cm at 20.degree. C. A non-stick coating is coated on the intermediate layer on only the two major opposed surfaces, thereby exposing the intermediate layer on the two edge surfaces. The non-stick coating prevents tissue from sticking to the instrument during surgery while the intermediate metal layer enhances the electrical conductivity of the instrument for more efficient cutting and cauterization of tissue with less power consumption.

Abstract: An improved bib design. The inventive bib is a place-on bib which is adapted to attach to an upper body garment. The inventive bib includes a first layer of absorbent material having a body portion and two upwardly extending flaps defining a U-shaped opening therebetween. A top edge of each flap rest below, at or on the shoulders of a wearer when the bib is placed on the upper body garment of the wearer. A second layer of water repellent material is disposed on a rear surface of the first layer. A third layer of adhesive material is at least partially disposed on a rear surface of the second layer. The adhesive material allows the bib to rest below at or over the shoulders of the user allowing for an ease of removal and a safe use of same.

Abstract: A tool box assembly having a first surface with a first aperture therethrough for retaining a tool (such as a drill bit) having a longitudinal axis. A second surface is provided having a second aperture therethrough for retaining the tool. The first surface is retained relative to the second surface whereby the tool may translate along the longitudinal axis thereof through the first aperture in the first surface and the second aperture in the second surface when the first surface is in a first position relative to the second surface land be restrained against translation along the longitudinal axis thereof when the first surface is in a second position relative to the second surface.

Abstract: An aircraft based imaging system comprising a sensor mounted in the aircraft in a known orientation, circuitry for acquiring signals generated by the sensor from a scanned area, a system for georeferencing the acquired signals; and a system for compensating for tilt in the acquired signals. The sensor is an infrared sensor and the system for georeferencing the acquired signals is a receiver adapted to receive signals from a global positioning system. The system for compensating for tilt in the aircraft includes a gyroscope, a magnetometer and software for controlling the gyroscope to produce signals indicative of the orientation of the aircraft. The software compensates for tilt in the acquired signals and uses the GPS signals to create an accurate mosaic of the images generated by the sensor.

Abstract: A holographic planar concentrator (HPC) for collecting and concentrating optical radiation is provided. The holographic planar concentrator comprises a planar highly transparent plate and at least one multiplexed holographic optical film mounted on a surface thereof. The multiplexed holographic optical film has recorded therein a plurality of diffractive structures having one or more regions which are angularly and spectrally multiplexed. Two or more of the regions may be configured to provide spatial multiplexing. The HPC is fabricated by: (a) recording the plurality of diffractive structures in the multiplexed holographic optical film employing angular, spectral, and, optionally, spatial multiplexing techniques; and (b) mounting the multiplexed holographic optical film on one surface of the highly transparent plate. The recording of the plurality of diffractive structures is tailored to the intended orientation of the holographic planar concentrator to solar energy.

Abstract: A dependable ohmic contact with consistently low specific contact resistance (<1.times.10.sub.-6 .OMEGA.-cm.sup.2) to n-type GaAs (10) is produced by a three or four step procedure. The procedure, which is employed following implantation to form doped regions in the GaAs substrate for contacting thereto, comprises: (a) adsorbing or reacting sulfur or a sulfur-containing compound (26) with the GaAs surface (10') at locations where the contact metal (28) is to be deposited; (b) forming a metal contact layer (28) on the treated portions of the GaAs surface; (c) optionally forming a protective layer (30) over the metal contact; and (d) heating the assembly (metal and substrate) to form the final ohmic contact. The surface treatment provides a lower specific contact resistance of the ohmic contact. Elimination of gold in the ohmic contact further improves the contact, since intermetallic compounds formed between gold and aluminum interconnects ("purple plague") are avoided.

Abstract: Contaminants are detected optically at concentrations below 1 part-per-million (ppm) and extending to a level approaching 1 part-per-trillion (ppt) by using intracavity laser spectroscopy (ILS) techniques. A solid-state laser with an ion-doped crystal medium contained in an optical resonator cavity (the ILS laser) is employed as a detector. A gas sample containing gaseous contaminant species is placed inside the optical resonator cavity and on one side of the ion-doped crystal. The output signal from the ILS laser is detected and analyzed to identify the gaseous species. The concentration of the gaseous species can be determined as well.

Abstract: A phase detector is disclosed that eliminates frequency ripple in a phase-locked loop circuit. The detector includes first and second circuits for providing UP and DOWN signals respectively. It also includes a delay element for setting the duration of the DOWN signal so as to eliminate phase jitter and static phase offset.

Abstract: A novel dietary supplement composition is provided that serves as a general anti-depressant. The dietary supplement employs an extract of St. John's Wort and additionally includes an extract of Ginkgo biloba, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Folic acid, and Vitamin C.

Abstract: An optical coupler is provided that comprises one lens component, comprising at least one axially-graded index of refraction element. When the optical coupler component includes one axially-graded index of refraction element, a homogeneous "boot" element is cemented on entrance surface to provide plano-plano coupling. When the optical coupler includes two or more axially-graded index of refraction elements, both entrance and exit surfaces are planar. The optical coupler component may be sized to provide focusing at its exit surface. The axially graded index-based couplers of the present invention comprise a single component, thereby reducing the number of components and the concomitant complexity of the optical system. Further, many of these couplers can be fabricated with plano-plano entrance-exit surfaces, thereby obviating the need for forming curved focusing surfaces and thus avoiding the introduction of air spaces.

Abstract: A user-friendly golf swing practice mat is provided, comprising: (a) a low friction, compliant and resilient top sheet having a rigidity of less than 40 pounds per square inch; and (b) a bottom pad (natural grass or an accompanying compliant, resilient pad) for supporting the top sheet a finite distance above the underlying base, for providing space for the top sheet to yield to and accommodate the bottom-most portion of a reasonably well-aligned golf club swing-arc. The golf swing practice mat avoids the mechanical limitations and problems associated with prior art mats. In typical usage, the respective properties of the top sheet and the bottom pad together enable the whole mat to function so that--like a natural-grass-covered fairway--it imposes very little resistance as it readily yields to and accommodates the bottom-most portion--between the bottom of the ball and the underlying ground/base--of any fill, and reasonably well aligned golf club swing arc.

Abstract: An axially-based lens is provided, comprising two biaxial elements, each having entrance and exit surfaces. The exit surface of one of the elements is joined to the entrance surface of the other element, with one of the elements rotated at an angle with respect to the other. In a preferred embodiment, the angle of rotation is 90.degree.. The axially-based lens thus comprises four axial sub-elements, and is called a "quadaxial" lens herein. The axially-based lens element has the ability to gather and focus light to a spot with a minimum of spherical aberration and with a substantially uniform distribution of light intensity from center to periphery of the spot. In a preferred embodiment, the lens element focuses light to a square spot size.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided which determine the spatial distribution of fluids in a porous media contained in a three-dimensional cell as such fluids migrate through porous media in response to a vacuum-induced pressure differential.

Abstract: A novel dietary supplement composition is provided that serves as a general relaxant. The supplement comprises pharmaceutical grade Kava root extract and at least one additional relaxing herb selected from the group consisting of Passion Flower, Chamomile Flower, Hops, and Schizandra Fruit. The most preferred composition of the dietary supplement, in capsule form, comprises: (a) about 200 mg pharmaceutical grade Kava root extract; (b) about 50 mg Passion Flower; (c) about 50 mg Chamomile Flowers; (d) about 50 mg Hops; (e) about 50 mg Schizandra Fruit; (f) about 5 mg talc; and (g) about 5 mg magnesium stearate.

Abstract: An improved storage controller and method for storing and recovering data. The storage controller includes a first cluster for directing data from a host computer to a storage device and a second cluster for directing data from a host computer to a storage device. A first cache memory is connected to the first cluster and a second cache memory is connected to the second cluster. A first nonvolatile memory is connected to the second cluster and a second nonvolatile memory is connected to the first cluster. The first and second cache memories and the first and second nonvolatile stores are thus "cross-coupled" to the first and second clusters to provide improved data recovery capability. Data is directed to the first cache and backed up to the first nonvolatile memory in a first operational mode. In the event of failure of the first nonvolatile memory, data is recovered from the first cache memory.

Abstract: Water-free, gaseous sulfur trioxide is used as an agent to form patterns in organic coatings, films, and layers, including photoresists, by etching areas exposed to the agent through an overlying mask or by developing a latent image of the desired pattern using the agent as a dry-developer.

Abstract: A method and system provides for increasing the throughput of serial data in a computer system when a data packet is of unknown length. The method and system includes initializing a first count register to count a length field of the data packet, the length field including a value indication of the length of the data packet. The method and system further includes storing a count for a minimum data portion in a second count register and receiving the data packet from a serial device of the computer system. The method and system further provides for transferring the length value to the RAM of the computer system and loading the count for the minimum data portion into the first count register to provide primary chaining of the first count register to the second count register. The method and system finally provides for comparing a minimum data packet length to the length value in the RAM to determine whether to utilize secondary chaining of the first count register with the second count register.

Abstract: An x-ray rube having an electron gun for generating a beam of electrons along a first axis. The beam of electrons impinges upon an anode which emits x-rays in response to the beam of electrons. The anode is mounted in parallel with the first axis. Coils are included for deflecting the electron beam onto the anode.