Abstract: A modular container filling apparatus includes a simple pilot valve which can be operated by a push button, a bottle-engaging yoke, or a manual valve at the distal end of a bucket filling hose. The modular construction of the apparatus allows a plurality of units to be mounted side by side on a modular water manifold by bayonet-type sealing connections. An anti-foam venturi and spout mixes chemicals with the water and minimizes foaming when filling a bottle. A plurality of chemicals can be selected by a rotational selector without intermixing.

Abstract: Both the number and the size of microair bubbles in a bloodstream are accurately determined optically, independently of oxygen saturation, by monitoring the intensity of light transmission in the 800-850 nm range through the bloodstream and indicating the count and amplitude range of peaks in the monitored intensity.

Abstract: The need for a venous reservoir in a heart-lung machine is obviated by using a vacuum-purged negative-pressure air filter in the venous return line ahead of the main blood pump. The purging vacuum for the venous air filter can also be used to purge air from the cardiotomy reservoir if a backflow-preventing valve is used on the venous air filter.

Abstract: An innovative bone anchor and methods for securing connective tissue, such as tendons, to bone are disclosed which permit a suture attachment which lies entirely beneath the cortical bone surface, and wherein the suturing material between the connective tissue and the bone anchor is oriented in a direction generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the bone anchor, so that axial pull-out forces exerted on the bone anchor are minimized. The suture attachment to the bone anchor involves the looping of a substantial length of suturing material around a shaft of the anchor, thereby avoiding an eyelet connection which requires a knot and which concentrates stress on a very small portion of the suturing material. Thus, failure rates are greatly decreased over conventional techniques, and the inventive procedures are significantly easier to perform than conventional techniques.

Abstract: A safety delineator is provided which includes a conical body portion and an upstanding handle portion. The handle has a substantially increased length relative to prior art delineators to permit full hand gripping of the delineator and also to assist in preventing sticking and jamming together of a plurality of the delineators when they are stacked in a nesting fashion.

Abstract: An innovative bone anchor and methods for securing connective tissue, such as tendons, to bone, which permit a suture attachment that lies entirely beneath the cortical bone surface. Advantageously, the suturing material between the connective tissue and the bone anchor is secured without the need for tying a knot. The suture attachment to the bone anchor involves the looping of a length of suturing material around a self-locking wedge body in the anchor, thereby avoiding an eyelet connection which requires a knot and which concentrates stress on a very small portion of the suturing material. Thus, failure rates are greatly decreased over conventional techniques, and the innovative procedures are significantly easier to perform than conventional techniques.

Abstract: There are provided methods for assaying biological specimens for one or more of leptin, prorenin or renin in order to provide predictive information about the likelihood of a woman carrying a Downs Syndrome affected fetus.

Abstract: A method for acquiring and assembling software components at execution time into a client program, where the components may be acquired from remote networked servers is disclosed. The acquired components are assembled according to knowledge represented within one or more acquired mediating components. A mediating component implements knowledge of an object model. A mediating component uses its implemented object model knowledge, acquired component class information and polymorphism to assemble components into an interacting program at execution time. The interactions or abstract relationships between components in the object model may be implemented by the mediating component as direct invocations or indirect events or software bus exchanges. The acquired components may establish communications with remote servers. The acquired components may also present a user interface representing data to be exchanged with the remote servers.

Abstract: The present invention combines the gasoline vapor recovery efficiency advantages of a flirt “Partial Seal System”, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,004 to flirt, with the customer convenience advantages of gasoline vapor recovery systems employing “bootless” nozzles. The use of bootless nozzles in combination with strict environmental vapor emissions compliance is made possible because of specific system advantages, which include the use of a burner designed to operate at two different flow rates, a coaxial processor stack which permits second and third stage combustion of excess gasoline vapor generated by the system before it is released to atmosphere, and a remote sensor which continually monitors system vacuum pressure to ensure that a sufficient vacuum is maintained at all times.

Abstract: An active control device for reducing blade-vortex interactions (BVI) noise generated by a rotorcraft, such as a helicopter, comprises a segmented trailing edge flap located near the tip of each of the rotorcraft's rotor blades. The various flap segments may be independently actuated according to flap deflections schedules which are tailored to address a particular operating regime with maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Through the careful azimuth-dependent independent actuation of the flap segments, blade tip vortices which are the primary source for BVI noise are (a) made weaker and (b) pushed farther away from the rotor disk (that is, larger blade-vortex separation distances are achieved), resulting in lower BVI noise.

Abstract: In a traffic channeling device, a molded rib for attachment to an exterior surface of a bottom wall of a drum for inhibiting the drum from rotating relative to a rubber ballasting collar. The rib comprises an exterior surface for contact with the rubber ballasting collar, a back surface for contact with the bottom wall of the traffic channeling device, and a thickness between the exterior and back surfaces. In aspects of the device, the one or more molded ribs may be attached to the bottom wall exterior surface in a latitudinal arc of less than 180°. In further aspects of the device, locator pins radially extending from the bottom wall exterior surface complement cavities in the back surface of the molded rib. In additional aspects of the device, fasteners, such as screws, attach the molded ribs to the device such that the fasteners do not extend past a wall inside surface, thereby inhibiting marring of drum walls during stacking of the drums.