Abstract: An elongate support body includes each of a plurality of pistons longitudinally translatable to urge movement of a corresponding sinker in a straight bar knitting machine. A piston chamber is disposed within or attached to the support body and includes a translatable piston head disposed therewithin. Each of a plurality of piston cylinders housing the respective ones of the plurality of pistons is in fluid communication with the piston chamber. Upon introduction of a fluid under pressure into the piston chamber on one side of the piston head, fluid pressure will be introduced serially into each piston cylinder to actuate each piston as the piston head translates along the piston chamber.

Abstract: A multi-electrode probe for use with a catheter in an electrophysiological procedure to map and to ablate any of several tissue sites without repositioning the probe includes at least a plurality of electrodes, such as a tip and metallic rings, less than all of the electrodes has a first work function and are selectively energized by a source of RF energy. The RF energy return path is through a further electrode(s) of a metallic material having a second work function and disposed at a tissue location removed from the ablation site. After the sites have been mapped and one or more sites are selected for ablation, the selected site(s) is ablated prior to any repositioning of the probe. Regulation of the temperature at the ablation site(s) is achieved by sensing the temperature dependent current of a galvanic cell created by the tissue between the energized tip/ring and the further electrode due to their different work functions.

Abstract: A low noise differential amplifier includes a differential stage and first and second unbalanced differential feedback amplifiers. The differential stage includes first (13) and second (14) load devices coupled to first (11) and second (12) conductors, respectively, a resistor (RS), a first input transistor (Q1) having a first electrode coupled to the first conductor and a second electrode coupled by a third conductor (16) to a first terminal of the resistor (RS), and a second input transistor (Q2) having a first electrode coupled to the second conductor (12) and a second electrode coupled by a fourth conductor (17) to a second terminal of the resistor (RS). The first feedback amplifier (18) includes a third input transistor (Q5) coupled between the third conductor (16) and the first current source transistor (Q3). The first feedback amplifier (18) drives the control electrode of the first input transistor (Q1).

Abstract: A composition is formed of chlorine dioxide and a phosphate added to a mixture of glucono delta lactone, glycerin and hydroxyethyl cellulose to form a lubricant that will stop itching by killing Candida species and several other organisms known to colonize the vagina.

Abstract: During an ablation procedure in a chamber of the heart RF energy is used to form a myocardial lesion for treatment of some arrhythmias such as sustained supraventricular tachycardia and accessory pathways. A galvanic cell, formed by a metallic electrode having a first work function at the ablation site, a second metallic electrode having a second work function located remote from the ablation site and the intervening tissue serving as an electrolyte, produces an output current signal reflective of the formation of a lesion at the ablation site and is used to control the RF energy applied. A curve depicting the output current signal has a maximum value at the point a burn or lesion begins and thereafter begins to decrease in value. A short duration inflection or bump of the curve occurs prior to charring and carbonization of the lesion and predicts lesion formation of a sufficient depth. Thereafter, RF energy should no longer be applied to prevent unnecessary damage to the myocardial tissue.

Abstract: A system for interfacing between a semiconductor wafer, an automatic wafer probe machine, and an automatic IC test system includes an insert ring adapted for attachment to a support of the wafer probe machines. A lock ring assembly includes a lock ring rotatably disposed in the insert ring. A cam element having a sloped camming surface is attached to the lock ring. A retaining element attached to the insert ring retains the lock ring in the insert ring. A lid hingeably attached to the insert ring supports a POGO tower assembly including an adapter ring for attachment to a POGO tower and a z-axis ring attached to the adapter ring, and a mounting assembly connecting the z-axis ring in spring-loaded relationship to the lid. A cam follower attached to the z-axis ring engages the sloped camming surface when the lid is lowered to position a bottom surface of the POGO tower slightly above the probe card.

Abstract: A line in contact with an elongated mandrel has incremental lengths wrapped around the mandrel when the mandrel is rotated about a longitudinal axis. The mandrel has at least one transverse handle receiving opening therethrough. The handle when inserted into the handle receiving opening is employed to rotate the mandrel. The device includes at least one member for engaging the line to prevent unwinding rotation of the mandrel. The mandrel carries spaced transverse flange plates to prevent the line from sliding off the mandrel. At least one of the flange plates has oppositely extending slots from the periphery of that one flange plate to an area near the mandrel for admitting the line from which slack is to be removed to be led into and out of the space between the flange plates to contact the mandrel.

Abstract: The area of a three-dimensional lesion on a cervix is determined from a two-dimensional image of the cervix. A transparent area fixation probe is used to flatten the lesion just prior to photography. The image is analyzed using a personal computer and dedicated imaging software program that calculates the cosine of the slant angle of the planar defining platform of the area fixation probe. This is accomplished by determining the apparent minor to major axis ratio of a standardization circular icon present on the planar defining platform. The lesion itself is outlined by using a mouse pointing device and the number of pixels within the outlined region are counted. The inverse of the cosine of the slant angle is then used as a correction factor to obtain the true area of the lesion by multiplying the number of pixels within the region by the correction factor.

Abstract: An electrical mounting assembly includes a box having a top wall and a side wall. The side wall extends downwardly away from the top wall and defines a cavity therein. A dimpled hole is provided in the top wall, and a supplemental fixture support extends into the dimpled hole for engaging at least a portion of the walls thereof. A threaded hole may be provided on the supplemental fixture support. The supplemental fixture support may be a rivet. A rough surface or fluting may be provided on a portion of the supplemental fixture support for engaging the walls of the dimpled hole. Preferably, the supplemental fixture support has exposed portions which are sufficiently smooth for preventing wear to plastic-coated electrical wire which engages such exposed surfaces of the supplemental fixture support.

Abstract: A circuit for producing a stable CDAC reference voltage in a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter includes a circuit (27) producing an input reference voltage (VREFIN), and a buffer circuit (12) producing a stable reference voltage in response to the input reference voltage. The buffer circuit includes an amplifier (13) having a non-inverting input receiving the input reference voltage. A first buffer (13B) receives the output of the amplifier and produces output that is fed back to an inverting input of the amplifier. A second buffer (18) also receives the amplifier output. A first transistor switch (19) couples the output of the second buffer to a CDAC. A second transistor switch (29) couples the CDAC to ground. A third transistor switch (26) couples the first buffer to the CDAC. The first transistor switch (19) closes to cause an initial "coarse" charging of a first capacitance of the CDAC by the second buffer (18).

Abstract: A ratchet for use with a cord includes a pair of opposed tear drop shaped members defining a one piece housing for rotatably supporting a one piece ratchet spool, for supporting a pivotally mounted thumb release and for supporting an angularly displacable hook. Opposed circular cavities are disposed within the members to rotatably support corresponding bosses extending from opposed sides of the spool. A plurality of opposed interleaved non-radial ribs extend from opposed surfaces of the spool to frictionally grip a cord partially extending about the spool. A pair of wheels forming the spool are interlocked with and secured to one another through a key and keyway.

Abstract: An in-focus image of an information-bearing region within an optical memory medium is discriminated from an out-of-focus image so as to reduce errors in reading information represented by the information-bearing region within the optical memory medium by producing a probe beam and a reference beam from a wideband point source, producing antisymmetric spatial properties in the reference beam, converting the probe beam to a beam focused to a line in the information-bearing region, producing an in-focus return probe beam, and producing antisymmetric spatial properties in the in-focus return probe beam. Then the in-focus return probe beam is spatially filtered and passed through a dispersal element to focus it to a line in a detector plane. The reference beam is spatially filtered and passed through a dispersal element to focus it to the line in the detector plane. A beam from an out-of focus image point is spatially filtered and passed through a dispersal element.

Abstract: A knitting machine including a first knitting station (51) for knitting a welt, a second knitting station (52) comprising a fully fashioned knitting head (54), and a transfer system including a welt transfer bar (60) and a transfer bar transport system (72, 73), the transfer bar being movable by the transport system from a loading station, whereat a welt knitted at the first knitting station (51) can be loaded onto the transfer bar (60), to an unloading station whereat the knitted welt loaded on the transfer bar can be transferred to the knitting head at the second knitting station (52).

Abstract: Circuitry in an amplifier (1) provides both auto-zeroing of offset errors and finite gain compensation. The circuitry includes a differential main amplifier (3) and a differential auxiliary amplifier (13). During a first phase (.phi.1), a previously sampled input voltage is amplified by the main amplifier to produce an output voltage on a first capacitor (C3). A stored prior offset correction voltage stored on a second capacitor (C4A) is applied between the inputs of the auxiliary amplifier, an output of which is coupled to an auxiliary input of the main amplifier to auto-zero its offset voltage. During a second phase (.phi.2) the inputs of the main amplifier are short-circuited together, causing it to produce a voltage change on one terminal of the first capacitor (C3), the other terminal of which is switched from ground to one terminal of a second capacitor (C4). This stores updated offset correction voltage on the second capacitor (C4).

Abstract: An epitaxial layer is formed on a P type silicon substrate in which a plurality of P+ buried layer regions, a plurality of N+ buried layer regions, and a P+ field layer region occupying most of the substrate surface are diffused. The substrate is loaded in a reactor with a carrier gas. The substrate is pre-baked at a temperature of approximately 850.degree. C. As the substrate is heated to a temperature of 1050.degree. C. N+ dopant gas is injected into the carrier gas to suppress autodoping due to P+ atoms that escape from the P+ buried layer regions. The substrate is subjected to a high temperature bake cycle in the presence of the N+ dopant gas. A first thin intrinsic epitaxial cap layer is deposited on the substrate, which then is subjected to a high temperature gas purge cycle at 1080.degree. C. A second thin intrinsic epitaxial cap layer then is deposited on the first, and a second high temperature gas purge cycle is performed at 1080.degree. C.

Abstract: A cap body has a movable retaining tongue which is engageable with a portion of an access structure to retain the cap on the structure. A tongue is manipulated through a bolt, the head of which is accessible at the top surface of the cap body. A cover for the bolt head has a locking post which extends through the cap body and engages and locks the tongue against movement.

Abstract: A line in contact with an elongated mandrel has incremental lengths wrapped around the mandrel when the mandrel is rotated about a longitudinal axis. The mandrel has at least one transverse handle receiving opening therethrough. The handle when inserted into the handle receiving opening is employed to rotate the mandrel. The device includes at least one member for engaging the line to prevent unwinding rotation of the mandrel. The mandrel may also carry transverse flange plates to prevent the line from sliding off the mandrel. And those flange plates may be adjustably positioned on the mandrel to accommodate lines of differing widths.

Abstract: A bootstrap sample and hold circuit accurately acquires and holds values of a high frequency analog input signal, to avoid harmonic distortion of a signal representing the analog input signal in, for example, a pipeline ADC, includes a first sampling MOSFET coupling the analog input signal to a sampling capacitor. A bootstrap circuit includes a bootstrap capacitor. First and second MOSFETs couple the bootstrap capacitor between a first reference voltage and ground in response to pulses of a first clock signal. Third and fourth MOSFETs then couple the bootstrap capacitor between the gate and source of the sampling MOSFET in response to non-overlapping pulses of a second clock signal to apply a constant gate-to-source voltage to the sampling MOSFET, the gate-to-source voltage having a magnitude equal to the difference between a first reference voltage and ground during the pulses of the second clock signal.

Abstract: A ratchet for use with a cord includes a pair of opposed tear drop shaped members defining a one piece housing for rotatably supporting a one piece ratchet spool, a pivotally mounting a thumb release and supporting an angularly displacable hook. Circular cavities are disposed within the members to rotatably support corresponding bosses extending from opposed sides of the spool. A plurality of studs, one of which provides support for the hook, extend from one member into corresponding cavities of the other member and are sonically welded or otherwise permanently fixed therein. A steel pin, having opposed ends inserted into cavities in the opposed members, mounts the thumb release and an associated spring.