Abstract: A fluidized bed reactor system which utilizes a fluid phase, a retained fluidized primary particulate phase, and a migratory second particulate phase. The primary particulate phase is a particle such as a gel bead containing an immobilized biocatalyst. The secondary particulate phase, continuously introduced and removed in either cocurrent or countercurrent mode, acts in a secondary role such as a sorbent to continuously remove a product or by-product constituent from the fluid phase. Introduction and removal of the sorbent phase is accomplished through the use of feed screw mechanisms and multivane slurry valves.
Abstract: A system uses prevent and detect mechanisms to enable rewritable data storage media to be operated as a written-once-only media. A physical indication of the media casing serves as an indicator of the write-once-only status of the media. A watermark is magnetically recorded on the media at the factory with a portion of the mark detectable by the system and a portion only detectable by returning to an inspection station for verification. This protects against a complete erasure of all data from the media. A segment write status indication serves to indicate the write-once-only status of each segment of the written data. A portion of the written region, such as the preamble or control field of each segment, contains a status mark written randomly within the area as a status indication that the data was written once or multiple times within that segment.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 3, 1991
Date of Patent:
November 23, 1993
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Abstract: A phantom cornea for calibrating surgical lasers is formed by superimposition of thin-films of alternating colors. After ablation by a laser beam, the resulting spherical cavity appears as a pattern of nested circles whose concentricity and spacing reflect the alignment and intensity of the laser beam. These patterns can be visually or instrumentally analyzed to determine the proper setting of the laser. The calibration cornea can be planar, or arcuate to mimic the natural cornea. The calibration cornea may be mounted in a phantom eyeball including a removable iris of small diameter which constitutes a convenient target for the alignment of the laser beam.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 12, 1993
Date of Patent:
November 16, 1993
Assignee:
Iatrotech, Inc.
Inventors:
Deborah K. Hall, Erik Rencs, Walter J. Stark
Abstract: This invention relates to an air manifold having a plurality of apertures communicating with each other interiorally of the air manifold, wherein one of the apertures is adapted to communicate with a compressed air source, and the other apertures are adapted to selectively receive either closing means for maintaining the compressed air source interiorally of the manifold or compressed air conduits for communication with the compressed air source.
Abstract: A rechargeable power pack is shaped and dimensioned to be inserted in the battery compartment of an electrical device. The top of the power pack is exactly symmetrical with the battery compartment cover which it replaces. The power pack houses rechargeable power cells, and has a peripheral wall spaced apart from the sides of the battery compartment mounting the battery contact terminal. Flexible prongs project from the peripheral walls to provide a wiping contact with either a spiral spring negative terminal or a stationary positive terminal of the compartment. A top mounted connector allows recharging of the power pack even while in use on the electrical device. Baffles mounted astride each flexible prong avert damage to the prong during insertion of the power pack into the battery compartment.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 5, 1993
Date of Patent:
November 9, 1993
Assignee:
Steven G. Leiserson
Inventors:
Steven G. Leiserson, Richard L. Groendyke
Abstract: Apparatus for weighing a vehicle in motion is provided by employing a plurality of elongated fiber-optic sensors defined by an optical fiber embedded in an encasement of elastomeric material and disposed parallel to each other on the roadway in the path of moving vehicles. Each fiber-optic sensor is provided with contact grid means which can be selectively altered to provide the fiber-optic sensors with sensitivities to vehicular weight different from each other for weighing vehicles in an extended weight range. Switch means are used in conjunction with the fiber-optic sensors to provide signals indicative of the speed of the moving vehicle, the number of axles on the vehicle, weight distribution, tire position, and the wheelbase of the vehicle. The use of a generally N-shaped configuration of switch means also provides a determination of the number of tires on each axle and the tire footprint.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 2, 1992
Date of Patent:
November 9, 1993
Assignee:
Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.
Inventors:
Jeffrey D. Muhs, John K. Jordan, Kenneth W. Tobin, Jr., John V. LaForge
Abstract: A kairomonal lure for use in combination with a ectoparasitic insect trap, particularly flea and tick traps, simulates the presence of a potential host animal. The lure comprises a heat source and a semiochemical substance.
Abstract: A collapsible liquid container is mounted within a pressure chamber, the chamber is pressurized either by an external air pump, or by a manual pump within the wall of the chamber. The pressure inside the chamber causes the wall of the container to collapse as liquid is drawn from it. A check valve mounted in a channel connecting the inside of the pressure chamber to the spout of the container transfers pressurized air into the container when the pressure within the container drops below the pressure in the chamber, in order to evacuate any liquid remaining into the container when the walls have been collapsed to the maximum extent possible.
Abstract: A reactor vessel for reacting a solid particulate with a liquid reactant has a centrifugal pump in circulatory flow communication with the reactor vessel for providing particulate attrition, resulting in additional fresh surface where the reaction can occur.
Abstract: A refrigeration air conditioning system utilizing a liquid over-feeding operation is described. A liquid refrigerant accumulator-heat exchanger is placed in the system to provide a heat exchange relationship between hot liquid refrigerant discharged from condenser and a relatively cool mixture of liquid and vaporous refrigerant discharged from the evaporator. This heat exchange relationship substantially sub-cools the hot liquid refrigerant which undergoes little or no evaporation across the expansion device and provides a liquid over-feeding operation through the evaporator for effectively using 100 percent of evaporator for cooling purposes and for providing the aforementioned mixture of liquid and vaporous refrigerant.
Abstract: A method and kit which combines a condom, cleaning implements such as a toothbrush, and a plurality of solutions containing povidone-iodine complex; a before-contact mouth solution, a before-contact body solution, an after-contact mouth solution, and an after-contact body solution. Up to 3 hours before sexual contact, the condoom is applied and exposed skin and condom areas are cleansed with the before-contact solutions an cleaning implements. This includes: hands, mouth, genitals, lower abdomen, upper thighs and rectum. The solutions also produce a coating action that functions as a sustained chemical barrier and a coating which covers minor cuts or abraded areas before sexual contact. During sexual contact, the coating also acts as a lubricant, reducing further abrasions. After sexual contact, the after-contact solutions and cleaning implements are used to cleanse the exposed or potentially contaminated areas and the condom is removed.
Abstract: A light absorbing article comprised of a composite of carbon-bonded carbon fibers, prepared by: blending carbon fibers with a carbonizable organic powder to form a mixture; dispersing the mixture into an aqueous slurry; vacuum molding the aqueous slurry to form a green article; drying and curing the green article to form a cured article; and, carbonizing the cured article at a temperature of at least about 1000.degree. C. to form a carbon-bonded carbon fiber light absorbing composite article having a bulk density less than 1 g/cm.sup.3.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 20, 1992
Date of Patent:
September 7, 1993
Assignee:
Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.
Inventors:
Robert J. Lauf, Clyde Hamby, Jr., M. Alfred Akerman, Roland D. Seals
Abstract: A break away clip releasably engageable with a wall depending from a swimming pool coping where the wall has a raised rib, and an edge of a pool cover where the edge has a retaining groove, the clip presenting in cross-section a pair of spaced apart legs adapted to releasably embrace the depending wall, the legs are connected at one end and one of the legs includes a retaining groove between the legs which is adapted to receive the rib presented by the depending wall of the swimming pool coping, the clip including a channel presenting a lip releasably engageable with the retaining groove of the edge of the pool cover.
Abstract: Apparatus and method are disclosed for automatically generating computer programs for use in parallel processor arrangements from a user generated block diagram of the program. The system includes a library of parallel program modules and parallel program interface modules, a background manager (glue), a virtual shared memory, and a visual programming interface. Using the visual programming interface, the user selects parallel program modules and program interface modules and specifies operating characteristics information required to implement a block diagram of the desired program. The user then enables the system to create the source program, compile the program and execute the program on the system. The glue manager automatically establishes the communication paths needed to provide communication between the program and interface modules.
Abstract: Specific toxicants are selectively removed from aqueous waste streams associated with the production of petroleum and petroleum products by contacting such aqueous waste streams with a non-ionic macroreticular polymeric resin having a low to intermediate surface polarity. The toxicants are a group of structurally-related organic molecules containing at least one carboxylic acid group and having a molecular weight in the range of about 200 to about 400. These molecules are toxic to certain indicator species of fish at concentrations of less than 10 parts per billion.
Abstract: An intraocular lens, in the form of a disk, intended to replace the crystalline lens of a patient's eye, in particular after a cataract extraction, comprises on its distal side an aspherical sector extending approximately from the midline of the disk over one quarter of the surface thereof. The rest of the distal side is spherical. The radius of curvature of the aspherical sector varies monotonously between the value of the radius of the spherical sectors and a lower value. Such a configuration allows light rays impinging on the intraocular lens to be refracted at different angles and provides both near the distance vision. The discontinuity at transition between the aspherical sector and the spherical sector is blocked out by dark or etched plastic to eliminate glare. The proximal side can either be a convex surface, a concave surface or a plane.