Abstract: A surgical retractor, particularly suitable for soft tissue surgery such as plastic surgical procedures. The retractor has an elongate planar portion with a proximal end and a distal end, a main body portion therebetween, an upper surface and a bottom surface. The distal end of the retractor has a generally semi-circular shape, and has teeth extending from the perimeter thereof which extend above the upper surface of the retractor. The plurality of teeth are generally triangular in shape with apexes extending upwardly from the plane of the upper surface of the retractor and the teeth are smooth along their edges and apexes. The retractor is formed of generally rigid, yet malleable material, such as metal or plastic.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and pack of tabless, self-opening bags with flapless aperture cutouts pack. In the apparatus and method, cylindrical dies connected to a vacuum source are used to cut out plugs of holes, and the plugs are evacuated to a receptacle. Compression bars, or a relatively shallow bevel cut on the cylindrical die, are used to form area of frangible bonding in the central tab portion of the bag pack. The pack of tabless, self-opening bags with flapless aperture cutouts has no flap portions which might inadvertently detach from bag pack.

Abstract: A pack of plastic bags for use with a bagging rack. Each plastic bag in the pack of bags has a central tab portion between its two upwardly extending handles, which are at the sides of the mouth of the T-shirt bags. "J"-shaped slits are formed in the handles for carrying them on a bagging rack. A central tab portion is located on the front and rear walls above the mouth region of the plastic bags. The central tab portion has an aperture for receiving a retaining hook of a bagging rack, and a central tab slit which extends across the central tab portion, except for uncut portions near side edges of the central tab. The tearing cuts pass through the stack of bags and follow a non-straight path. The pack of plastic bags is preferably formed from plastic material which has been exposed to corona surface treatment. Frangible pressure bonding can be formed along the bottom side of said tearing cut to provide a self-opening feature.

Abstract: An air gap adapter for use with a water faucet. The air gap adapter has an adapter body with a base portion and an integral riser portion which extends generally vertically upwardly from a rear region of the base portion. The base portion has a hole for a water inlet shank of the water faucet, and the riser portion has brine inlet and outlet bores. The brine outlet bore is vertically oriented in the riser portion, and the brine inlet and outlet bores are open at their upper region. Two barbed connectors are located at a lower region of the adapter body and provide a brine inlet and outlet to the adapter. A venting aperture is formed near an upper region of said riser portion and passes into the brine outlet bore. A cap is positioned on the riser portion above the bores.

Abstract: Radiopaque marker and method for use in nuclear medicine imaging, (particularly with X-ray radiology) of soft tissue landmarks of a patient's body. The radiopaque marker includes a spherical ball of radiopaque material attached to an adhesive sheet which is positioned on a sheet of release film. Radiopaque markers are removed from the release film and applied to soft tissue landmarks on the patient. The patient's body, with the radiopaque markers, is then imaged, e.g. with X-ray radiology. The radiopaque markers leave circular shadows on the X-ray film, regardless of the contours of the portion of the body to which the radiopaque markers are applied, and can be used to accurately mark soft tissue landmarks.

Abstract: A combination backpack and chair. It has a backpack with a chair back portion located on its rear face. Chair back wings extend from side regions of the chair back portion. A seat portion extends from a lower rear region of the chair back portion. Seat wings extend from side regions of the seat portion. The seat wings and chair back wings are foldable inwardly into contact with the seat and chair back portions when the device is not being used as a chair, and these wings are foldable outwardly when the device is used as a chair. Generally rigid stays are placed in the back wings and the seat wings to provide for greater stiffening. To better maintain the shape of the device, the chair back, seat, and wings are preferably padded with foam rubber type material. Straps are provided for connecting the chair back portion and the seat back portion to allow the chair back portion and the seat portion to be maintained at a desired degree of recline relative to each other.

Abstract: A contrast enhancing agent for magnetic resonance images having a chelating agent, which can be bound to metals having at least one unpaired electron. Examples of such chelating agents include 3,6,9-tris(carboxymethyl)-1, 11-bis(dimethylamine)-3,6,9-triazaundecane; 3,6,9-tris(carboxymethyl)-1, 11-bis(diethanolamino) 3,6,9-triazaundecane; 3,6,9-tris(carboxymethyl)-1, 11-bis(tris(hydroymethyl) aminomethane)-3,6,9-triazaundecane; 3,6-bis(carboxymethyl-1,8-bis(N-carboxymethylglucosamino)-3,6-diazoctane; DTPA-bis(galactosamide), DTPA-Bis(glucosamide), DTPA-Bis(pyridoxamide), and poly-(DTPA-ethylenediamide).

Abstract: A three-dimension shadow box. It has a frontwardly lying sheet of transparent glass and a rearwardly lying mirror placed in a generally parallel orientation in a box structure. Graphic indicia is positioned on the frontwardly lying glass, and the graphic indicia has a first layer, having a first color and pattern, viewable only from the front, and a second layer, having a second color and pattern, viewable as the reflection off of the mirror. Two-dimensional visual indicia is placed adjacent to the mirror. The graphic indicia is viewable from the front of the frontwardly lying sheet of glass and a reflection of a rear side of the graphic indicia reflects off of the rearwardly lying mirror so as to appear as lying behind the two-dimensional visual indicia, giving the two-dimensional visual indicia the appearance of floating in the box structure.

Abstract: An instant photographic print drying device. The device has a stand which carries a fan and a heating coil. Downstream of the fan the photograph is held in place by clips. A timer is provided which can be set to a prescribed time to dry the photographs. An on/off switch is provided and a momentary switch is optionally present to provide a little more drying time, without resetting the timer. A thermostat might be included to prevent overheating of the coils, and possible overheating and burning of the photograph. Optionally, the clips holding the photograph in place can be connected to a micro-switch, which activates the timer controlling the fan and heating coil when a photograph is placed on the stand.

Abstract: A device to empty fluid from a sealed pressure container by use of pressurized air, and thereafter to place the container under vacuum. The device has a sleeve portion which defines an interior chamber. A ring portion with a hole extends into the interior chamber and forms a seating surface. A slidable seat with an aperture is located in the interior chamber below the ring portion and is sized to loosely fit in the interior chamber and seat on the ring portion. An upper cap with an air channel is located at the upper end of the sleeve and a lower cap with an air channel is placed at the lower end of the sleeve portion. A spring placed in the interior chamber between the lower cap and the slidable seat biases the slidable seat into contact with the ring portion. A floatable ball is placed above the slidable seat and is adapted to fluid tightly seat on and seal off its aperture. The floatable ball is sized to freely pass through the hole in the ring portion. A vacuum generator is also provided.

Abstract: A self-opening pack of plastic bags for use with a bagging rack. The pack of plastic bags is formed of plastic material which has been exposed to corona surface treatment. Each plastic bag in the pack of bags has a central tab portion between its two upwardly extending handles, which are at the sides of the mouth of the T-shirt bags. A central tab portion is located on the front and rear walls in the mouth region of the plastic bags. The central tab portion has a neck region and head region. The central tab portion has an aperture for receiving a retaining hook of a bagging rack, and a central tab slit which extends across the central tab portion, except for uncut portions near side edges of the central tab. The tearing cuts pass through the stack of bags and follow a non-straight path. Frangible pressure bonding is formed along the bottom edge of the central tab slit.

Abstract: A cheval mirror with concealed storage compartment. The device has a cabinet portion with a rear wall and perimeter side walls to define a space there within and an open front. A mirror door is attached to the cabinet portion with concealed hinges to movably cover the open front of the cabinet portion, thereby defining a mirrored storage compartment. The mirror door seats flush with the cabinet portion when closed, so that it appears integral therewith. The mirrored storage compartment is carried between two upright members extending from a stand portion. The mirrored storage compartment is pivotally attached to the upright members to permit the storage compartment to be tilted. A tilt adjustment control, separate from the pivoting points, is provided to permit the mirrored storage compartment to be adjustably tilted and retained in a plurality of different degrees of tilt relative to the upright members of the stand portion.

Abstract: Dies are used in forming a pack of self-opening plastic T-shirt bags for use with a bagging rack. Each plastic bag in the pack of bags has a mouth tab portion between its two upwardly extending handles, which are at the sides of the mouth of the T-shirt bags. The mouth tab portion is located on the front and rear walls in the mouth region of the plastic bags. The mouth tab portion has an aperture for receiving a retaining projection of a bagging rack. Frangible pressure bonding is formed along the perimeter of the mouth tab aperture. Flapless handle apertures are also formed in the handles, with frangible pressure bonds formed along their perimeter edges. Due to the frangible bonding formed between adjacent bags, as a frontmost bag is removed from the pack of bags on the bagging rack, the next bag in the pack of bags will automatically self-open into a open position for loading with merchandise.

Abstract: A board game for play by one to six players. The board game has several container baskets, and a board with a number of connected paths. Each path has discrete places upon which a basket can be moved. Some of the paths allow for uni-directional travel and some paths allow for bi-directional travel. Non-passage areas are adjacent to the connected path. The board has an entrance and an exit for players' container baskets to enter, and to exit, respectively. A number of tokens are placed on discrete areas of the non-passage areas, directly adjacent the discrete places of the paths. The tokens bear indicia of value, and are claimed by a player's basket when it lands directly adjacent a token on non-passage area.

Abstract: An attachment and cable fastening device. The device has an elongate elastic cable folded over at least one of its ends to form an eyelet. An metallic ring is crimped around the elastic cable's folded over ends. A strong metal hook with a frontwardly lying generally U-shaped front hook portion and a bent end extremity is placed with its bent end extremity fitted into the eyelet. A plastic covering is formed around the folded over end of said elastic cable, the metallic ring and the strong metal hook.

Abstract: A tool for scraping material from a bullnose installed on a corner joint of a drywall installation includes an elongated device having a handle portion, a first end portion, a second end portion, and a size adapted for holding in one hand. The first end portion has a first convexly shaped edge that matches a concavely shaped portion of the bullnose. It enables a user to scrape the material from the bullnose by moving the convexly shaped edge along the concavely shaped portion of the bullnose. Preferably, the first concavely shaped edge is shaped in a 75-degree arc of 0.875 inch radius to match a convexly shaped portion of the bullnose when the bullnose is installed on a 90-degree corner joint, and the second end portion of the elongated device includes a second convexly shaped edge that is shaped in a 50-degree arc of 1.125 inch radius to match the concavely shaped portion of the bullnose when the bullnose is installed on a 135-degree corner joint. One embodiment takes the form of a 6.

Abstract: A coil element, comprising a quadrature surface coil, includes side by side loops, slightly overlapped to the degree necessary to cancel mutual inductance. A coil includes a split-capacitor configuration for balanced-to-unbalanced conversion between the coil and a coaxial cable, without interfering with the highly magnetic environment of a magnetic resonance imaging system. A coil includes multiple diodes and current stabilizing impedances in parallel, or alternatively a combination of a fast low-power PIN diode and a slow high-power diode to effectively multiply the power handling capability of fast diodes for passive decoupling in a decoupling circuit for reducing the risk to the patient over active decoupling. A coil includes a counter-rotating decoupling circuit to cancel the effects of decoupler radiation, and to prevent lowering of the quality factor of the decoupling circuit and the detection of undesirable image artifacts.

Abstract: An inner tube leak detection device. The device has a sleeve member with two semi-tubal halves which are hinged, or alternately a single unit with a slot formed therein. The sleeve member has an outer wall, an inner wall, side walls joining the outer and inner wall, and end caps defining an interior chamber therein. The inner wall has air openings formed therethrough. The interior chamber is further divided into subchambers by interior dividing screen. A number of lightweight particles are contained within the subchambers of the interior chamber. When the device is placed around an inner tube with a leak, air flowing through the leak will cause the lightweight particles to be agitated, thereby providing a clear visual indication, and often an audible indication the location of the leak.