Abstract: A self test circuit provides a general statement about the condition of a coupled memory which indicates whether a wanted or unwanted manipulation or alteration of the memory has occurred. The contents of the memory are not derivable from the general statement. The general statement is preferably a "fail" or "pass" statement stating whether a deviation in the contents of the memory with respect to a last executed test has been detected or not. The testing of a non-volatile memory is executed by generating a signature from the contents of the non-volatile memory and comparing the generated signature with a reference value of the signature. When the comparison of the generated signature with the reference value indicates a different, a signal is issued and access to the non-volatile memory is restricted and/or a failure procedure is started. Access to the non-volatile memory is allowed when the comparison signature with the reference value indicates no difference.

Abstract: An optical demultiplexer includes an optical loop having first and second terminals and a mid point. A non-linear optical element is positioned in the loop at a distance .DELTA.x from the mid point. A first coupler is positioned in the loop and has a gating pulse applied which causes a change in the optical property of the non-linear optical element from a first state to a second state. A second coupler is optically coupled to the first and second terminals and has an input terminal for receiving a series of input optical pulses. The second coupler responds by inducing, for each input pulse, a pair of counter-propagating pulses in the optical loop. Control circuitry causes a gating pulse to be applied to the optical loop and to be timed to switch the non-linear optical element to from a first to a second state after one of the pair of counter-propagating pulses has passed through the non-linear optical element, but before the other counter-propagating pulse has reached the non-linear optical element.

Abstract: An air contamination detector for a scuba unit includes a transparent tube having a lumen, the lumen being user visible for a full 360.degree. about its circumference. A contamination indicator is positioned within the lumen and is exposed to air flow from the air supply of the scuba unit. The contamination indicator is responsive to a contaminant to manifest a change that is visible through the transparent tube. A quick connect/disconnect air connection is affixed to one end of the transparent tube and mates with a low pressure fitting that communicates with the scuba air tanks. A further quick connect/disconnect air filling is positioned at another end of the transparent tube and is connectable to a hose that provides air inlet control for a buoyancy control vest.

Abstract: A planar antenna is described which employs a thin patch of conductive material supported above and substantially parallel to a closely spaced thin conductive ground surface. Two or more narrow slots are positioned in the ground surface beneath the conductive patch. A microstrip transmission line, placed below the ground surface, excites the slots in series. The length of the microstrip line between the slots, the position of the microstrip line across the slots, and the dimensions of the slots are chosen to excite two orthogonal modes in the conductive patch in phase quadrature. This excitation results in a planar antenna which receives and transmits electromagnetic waves of circular polarization. The antenna may also employ a coplanar waveguide transmission line instead of the aformentioned microstrip transmission line. The coupling apertures then form slot discontinuities in series with the coplanar transmission line, which are positioned under the conductive patch.

Abstract: A rotary grinder is described including a hopper for receiving waste through a door, which door when closed, provides a fluid tight seal. A movable waste receptacle is provided beneath the grinder and is locked in place and weighed during the operation of the grinder. An iris diaphragm valve mates with the outlet from the grinder and, when in its open orientation, drops a sleeve into the waster receptacle thereby creating a sealed enclosure for the decontaminated waste material. Cutting blades employed by the grinder are identical and are provided with bearing shoulders which determine the amount of blade exposed when the blades are mounted on rotating arms of the grinder.

Abstract: A thin planar curved microstrip antenna is described which exhibits substantially constant input impedance characteristics over a wide frequency band. The impedance characteristic is achieved by shaping the ground surface such that the ratio of the width of the radiating element to its distance from the ground surface stays constant for a given curvature.

Abstract: A rotary grinder is described including a hopper for receiving waste through a door, which door when closed, provides a fluid tight seal. A movable waste receptacle is provided beneath the grinder and is locked in place and weighed during the operation of the grinder. An iris diaphragm valve mates with the outlet from the grinder and, when in its open orientation, drops a sleeve into the waste receptacle thereby creating a sealed enclosure for the decontaminated waste material. Cutting blades employed by the grinder are identical and are provided with bearing shoulders which determine the amount of blade exposed when the blades are mounted on rotating arms of the grinder.

Abstract: An improved exhaust gas particulate removal system is described which includes a corona-charger that is spark-plug like in configuration. The charger includes a central electrode held within an insulating body, a portion of which electrode is recessed in a cavity formed in the insulating body. A very small amount of clean gas is introduced into the cavity in a manner so as to create a spiral vortex flow about the electrode. The swirling gas flow creates an over-pressure which prevents the exhaust particulate matter from depositing on either the needle electrode or the walls of the cavity. Another swirling air flow, surrounding the exterior of the insulating body, is also provided to prevent the formation of a continuous layer of soot deposit thereupon, with the aid of a cylindrical baffle. The charger is juxtaposed to a conductive attractor electrode to create the desired corona for particulate charging and the path of the exhaust flow is passed between the charger and attractor electrodes.

Abstract: A pulsed-field gradient gel electrophoretic apparatus is described wherein a free standing gel is employed. Electrode arrays are oriented to provide three dimensional fields across the face of the gel rather than in the plane of the gel. The electrodes produce three dimensional fields which are orthogonally oriented with respect to each other and cause the molecules to proceed down the lanes in the gel in a generally saw-tooth manner oscillating between the surfaces thereof. Alternately, three dimensional, electric fields are arranged at angles greater than 90.degree. to one another across the face of the gel in separating the molecules, following which transfer electrodes are substituted for the separation electrodes in order to transfer the molecules from their separation lanes onto a separate substrate.

Abstract: A dc to three phase ac switched mode converter is described wherein a six switch bridge is provided to interconnect the dc source to a three-phase load. A plurality of dc sources are described, each of which employs an inductor/capacitor combination for energy storage, which stored energy is subsequently applied to the output load. The stored energy is delivered by connecting the capacitor across two legs of the three-phase load, while assuring that the third leg is invariably short-circuited back upon itself. As a result, three of the six switches in the bridge are closed at any instant to prevent any current interruption in the load.

Abstract: A plasma gun is described which is capable of creating and directing a plasma towards a neutralizing plate. The plate is comprised of a material which is chemically inert, metallic, and whose atoms are substantially heavier than the atoms of the plasma gas. The plasma, upon impacting the neutralizing plate, picks up sufficient electrons to cause the ions to revert to their neutral state. The particles, upon hitting the neutralizing plate, are redirected towards a substrate whose surface is to be altered or eroded. A potential may be applied to the neutralizing plate to enable the energy of the reflected particles to be controlled. The neutral atoms, so redirected, provide a desired anisotropic erosion capability.

Abstract: A pile driver is described wherein a piston within an internal combustion engine is rigidly coupled to the pile to be driven. The engine is resiliently coupled to the pile so as to move with the pile. Control circuitry modifies the frequency of operation of the piston so as to make the impulses created thereby synchronous with reflected impulses within the pile.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to an isoelectric focusing apparatus, wherein stabilization of the fluid containing the isolated proteins is achieved by carrying out the separation in a rotating cylinder with the separation cavity of the cylinder being segmented by means of filter elements. The filter elements are constituted of a material offering some degree of resistance to fluid convection, but allowing relatively free and unhindered passage of current and transport of proteins. The combined effect of segmentation and rotation has been found to be superior to either segmentation or rotation alone in maintaining the stability of the migrated fractions.

Abstract: An intraocular lens for use as an artificial lens implant is disclosed wherein the lens material is flexible and fluid impervious. Valve means communicate with the lens and enable it to be inflated with an appropriate fluid once the lens is placed in the eye.

Abstract: A planar antenna is described which employs a pair of closely spaced parallel ground planes and a radiating element which is a composite aperture (hybrid slot) formed into the upper ground plane. One portion of the radiating element is a long narrow slot which may have the shape of a rectangle of high aspect ratio. The other portion is an annular slot which may be circular in shape. Electromagnetic energy is conveyed to and from the slots in the upper ground plane by means of a feed conductor parallel to and sandwiched between the two ground planes. The maximum of the resulting field pattern is in the plane of the antenna and the pattern may be either directional or omnidirectional in that plane. When used as a receiving antenna, this antenna responds to both the electric and magnetic fields.

Abstract: The late portion of a post myocardial infarct patient's QRS waveform contains a high frequency signal tail which is indicative of a tendency toward vertricular tachycardia. This invention digitally processes and filters a patient's QRS signals in a reverse time manner to isolate the high frequency tail and avoid the filter ringing which would otherwise hide the signal.

Abstract: A cylindrical radiant energy collector is provided which includes a reflector spaced apart from an energy absorber. The reflector is of a particular shape which ideally eliminates gap losses. The reflector includes a plurality of adjacent facets of V shaped segments sloped so as to reflect all energy entering between said absorber and said reflector onto said absorber. The outer arms of each facet are sloped to reflect one type of extremal ray in a line substantially tangent to the lowermost extremity of the energy absorber. The inner arms of the facets are sloped to reflect onto the absorber all rays either falling directly thereon or as a result of reflection from an outer arm.

Abstract: A bioassay method for supporting human tumor stem cell colony growth is disclosed. The method is suitable for culture of a variety of neoplasms of differing histopathology. Tumor stem cell colonies arising from different types of cancer have differing growth characteristics and colony morphology. The present bioassay may be employed in clinical studies of the effects of anticancer drugs or irradiation on human tumor stem cells.

Abstract: A standard Transmission Electron Microscope is modified to include electrostatic deflection plates for deflecting the image of the specimen across an aperture plate. The electrons passing through the aperture plate are detected and converted into image pixels for either instantaneous display or for further conversion into digital form for subsequent storage of the image.

Abstract: A compond parabolic concentrator with a V-shaped cavity is provided in which an optical receiver is emplaced. The cavity redirects all energy entering between the receiver and the cavity structure onto the receiver, if the optical receiver is emplaced a distance from the cavity not greater than 0.27 r (where r is the radius of the receiver).